


Two Earth Shattering Events/ One Team

by professorandre1228



Series: Winchesters and the Avengers [4]
Category: Supernatural, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Mind Games, This is going to be a long one, Truce? - Freeform, Visions, WIP, Worthy?, Zanna (Supernatural), canon until it's not, villain team up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:46:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 60,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professorandre1228/pseuds/professorandre1228
Summary: The Mark of Cain is gone and the Avenger's have Loki's scepter.  Then, in the blink of an eye, The Darkness is released, as is the power hidden within the mind stone.  An unlikely event, but they come together and it will take every one of our heroes, superhumans and super humans, to save the world this time.  Maybe even the universe itself.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov/Sam Winchester
Series: Winchesters and the Avengers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1527761
Comments: 36
Kudos: 87





	1. The Darkness and Ultron

Prologue

The murmuring of the party guests was beginning to die down as the evening drew to a close. The party for the Avengers, after taking Loki’s scepter from the Hydra base in Sokovia, and having almost lost Clint, they were all settling into the central lounge area, with Natasha and Bruce wandering over from the bar, where they had been harmlessly flirting. Natasha had been working on helping Bruce build up his confidence in women, while keeping it light so he didn’t think she was trying to cheat on Sam. But Bruce had been smitten with her for a while now. He wasn’t hiding it as well as he hoped but he knew Tasha and he knew Sam and knew they were good for each other. So he let her flirt and blushed each time and kept his desires to himself. 

In the central lounge area, the others, along with some friends and companions were arranging themselves around the square made by four couches, with the modern glass and chrome table in the middle. Steve and Tony were discussing how well the ‘Lullaby’ that Bruce and Natasha had worked out to calm the Hulk had worked. Clint had acquired a pair of drumsticks from somewhere and was rata-tatting on the edge of the table and on his folded up knee from where he sat on the floor, back to one of the couches. Maria Hill sat beside him, legs curled beneath her to cover her dignity as the dress she wore was not meant for floor sitting. Thor and Steve took up the couch directly across from Clint and to his right Tony and Rhodey sat, leaning back in luxury and sipping beer. When Natasha and Bruce finally made it over, Bruce took the empty space on the couch on which Clint leaned and Nat delicately leaned into the empty space next to Dr. Cho on the open couch on Clint’s left. 

Just as it seemed it was finally coming to an end, a light comment about Thor’s hammer, which sat on the table in front of Thor, made them all look up. 

“But it’s a trick, right? “ Thor smiled indulgently. He knew Clint knew better, but he’d seen the glint of mischief in the archer’s eye and also knew this was a prod to the many egos in the room for one last bout of camaraderie before they all split up for the night. 

“Oh, no. It’s much more than that. You should know, my friend.” Since coming to Earth, meeting his love, Jane, and joining the Avengers, he had mellowed and begun to adopt the Earthly way of speech and dressing. No more loud Shakespearean language and his armor was only for battle. 

Clint raised both hands, one drumstick in each, and intoned in his impersonation of Thor from when they first met. 

“’Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!’ Whatever man! It’s a trick.” Only Natasha caught the flicker in his eyes as he looked around the collected people. While it appeared to be an innocent glance, she knew he was reading all of their faces and cataloguing their reactions. Oh, this was going to be good.

“Well, please,” Thor said with a smile. “Be my guest.” And he gestured at the handle of the hammer. Clint narrowed his eyes at Thor but smiled widely.

“Really?” Clint stood up as Thor gestured again. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms. 

“Oh, this is gonna be beautiful,” Rhodey snickered from where he leaned forward to get a good look. Next to him, Tony swallowed, knowing that Clint would give it his all to lift the hammer, had seen him attempt it before when he’d done the demonstration with Sam in the Tower. He also knew that Clint had been very injured not long ago and while he trusted Dr. Cho’s expertise, he worried for his friend. But he went for gentle chiding, rather than mother henning.

“Clint, you’ve had a tough week. We won’t hold it against you if you can’t get it up.” That got a laugh and Clint glanced at him with a tender smile that changed immediately to a broad grin. He put both the drumsticks into his right hand and slipped his left into the leather strap on the hammer. 

“You know I’ve seen this before, right?” He wrapped his hand around the shaft and lifted with all his might, but nothing happened. He felt a small pull in the newly healed/regenerated flesh but it was nothing concerning, but he did release the shaft and pull his hand from the strap. “I still don’t know how you do it.” Tony relaxed slightly and half smiled. 

“Smell the silent judgement?” Clint turned his gaze directly onto Tony and gestured towards the hammer.

“Please, Stark, by all means.” Tony stood up and snapped his buttoned jacket open. There were mutterings of ‘Uh-oh’ and ‘Here we go’ from around the room. 

“It’s physics,” Tony smirke, wrapping his hand around the shaft. 

“Physics!!” Bruce shouted, holding up his mostly empty glass. Natasha glanced at him with a smile. 

“Right. So if I lift it, then I Rule Asgard?” Thor grinned ear to ear. 

“Yes, of course.”

“You and Winchester will be worthy co-rulers.” Clint smirked, saluting Tony with one of the drumsticks. There was a sudden, loud screeching noise causing them all to cover their ears. When it died, the first sound froze them, hands haflway down again.

“Worthy?” Came the gravelly, echoing tone from the far end of the room, from the area of the door that led to the labs. Party fun forgotten, they all stood quickly and whirled around. There, on the top step, stood one of Stark’s Legionnaires, the one that had been badly damaged during the raid on the Hydra base in Sokovia. There were wires and tubes dragging behind as it staggered, as though it were a child learning to walk. Once all eyes were on it, it waved one metallic hand.

“Worthy. No.” The Legionnaire ground out. “How could you be worthy? You’re all killers.” Thor grabbed his hammer slowly and Steve turned his head slightly towards Tony, never taking his eyes off the robot.

“Stark.” Tony nodded.

“Uh, Jarvis.” There was no reply from the AI, but their eyes were drawn to a tall woman in a light blue, sleeveless, gauzy, sweeping dress who strolled from the lab area and stood next to the robot. She looked as though she could have been a party guest but none of them recognized her. She looked the robot up and down, then laid a gentle hand on its closest metal shoulder, before turning to face the heroes. Ultron rumbled.

“I’m sorry. I was asleep. Or…I was a dream? There was a terrible noise. And I was tangled in strings. The other guy…” The woman patted the shoulder affectionately before stepping down towards them. They all instinctively fell into defensive stances. 

“I had to kill him. He had no soul and wasn’t that interesting.” The woman maintained a cold, emotionless smile through this all.

“You killed someone?” Steve asked.

“He was a good guy and was trying to stop this thing at first.” She gestured behind her at the robot. “Then it tried to stop me. And I cannot allow that.” 

“Who sent you?” Thor growled loudly.

“’I see a suit of armor around the world.’” Came Tony’s recorded voice as a reply. Tony and Bruce both blanched and then looked at each other.

“Ultron!” Bruce gasped. 

“Ultron?” The woman asked, looking over her shoulder at the robot thing. It shrugged as it looked at his own hands, arms, body.

“In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this…chrysalis. But I’m ready. I’m on a mission.” The woman smiled broadly then before turning back to face them.

“What mission?” Natasha asked, having kicked off her heels and reaching under the edge of her skirt for a blade she kept there.

“Peace in our time,” Ultron rumbled. Suddenly, the opaque glass walls behind Ultron shattered as the rest of the Legionnaire robots smashed through and attached. The woman with the robot didn’t flinch or even blink and simply stood by Ultron, watching the heroes battle the robots. It was chaos for a while, with them working fluidly together. Sharing resources, covering each other’s backs, calling out helpful information. When the last of the legionnaires had been destroyed, the woman spoke again. 

“Well, that was dramatic.” She shakes her head in mirth, then turns towards Ultron, dismissing the fighters behind her as inconsequential. “Bring me Dean Winchester. No one else matters.” With a flip of her hair, there was a dark swirl of grey smoke that simply dissipated. 

“I’m sorry.” Ultron said, staggering forward again. “I know you mean well. You just didn’t think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don’t want it to change. How is humanity saved if it’s not allowed to…evolve?” The robot picked up a dismembered head of one of its fellow legionnaires. “With these? These puppets? There only one path to peace. The Avengers’ extinction by the Darkness.”

Suddenly, in a fit of pique, Thor threw his hammer, which smashed the robot to pieces. As the body fell and the light flickered out of existence, the tower sound system crackled on and “I’ve got no strings” from Pinnochio began to play. 


	2. Superior, Nebraska

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters and the Avengers team up. Billie delivers a message.

“So Winchester. Anything you need to share with us?” Dean grimaced and swore silently. If Tony’s voice had not held that note of slight panic, Dean might have gotten away with an outright lie, but he just knew this was too important.

“Uh, could you be more specific?” There was a stunned silence, then an explosion of snark.

“Why would a woman in a long dress kick start a murder bot program, attack the Avengers, and then ask for you by name?” There were faint murmurs under Tony’s snarky tone. “You’re on speaker by the way.” Dean slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration.

“She came to see you guys?” Dean asked, confused.

“She paid a visit to Tony’s lab,” came Bruce’s voice next. It was tremulous but high-pitched as though on the verge of a panic attack. “We think she helped Ultron come to life.”

“Ultron?” Now Dean swallowed dryly, his throat clicking. He remembered vaguely hearing Sam rambling on at one time about Tony’s favorite project, but he hadn’t paid it any real attention as it was geek stuff. 

“Murder bot with a brain modeled after the stone from Loki’s staff,” Clint spoke up. While Dean couldn’t see it, he knew the archer was glaring daggers at the phone right now. 

“Great, just…,” he sighed. He pulled in a deep breath and then nodded to himself. “Okay, so I’m guessing this is going to be a real team effort, needing all of us. We’re in Superior, Nebraska. There’s a new illness, a virus, out there that’s turning people rabid and killing them within a few hours. Seems to be isolated for now but Sam’s working on a way to keep it from spreading while I just delivered a baby and a cop to a nearby city to safety. If you guys can swing by and help us get this sorted out then we can go from there.” There were murmurs of agreement. Just then his phone rang with an incoming call on the other line. “Let me call you back. Gotta take this.” 

He switched lines and caught every other word from Jenna about baby Amara and something crazy sounding like the Exorcist. He calmed her down as he did a quick u-turn to head back to her grandmothers. He made a quick call back to Tony.

“Okay, something’s up I gotta look into. I’m a bit away and Sam’s on his own at the hospital there, working on a cure or vaccine or something. Get there first since he probably needs more help than I do right now.”

He purposely avoided letting them know that he was worried off his ass about his brother being on his own against those things, but if they were headed that way soon, he’d feel much better about it. His next call was to check on Sam, who assured him he was good and told him to get back to help Jenna. When he hung up, he felt that worry ease up a bit if Sam was still okay. 

*****

When the line went dead after the second talk with Dean, the gathered group looked around at each other. They’d already had their internal argument, people blaming each other, mostly blaming Stark. He’d been more upset at the loss of Jarvis. Dr. Cho had looked at the injuries and helped Maria and Natasha pick glass out of their bare feet. Steve had barely been able to keep Thor from choking Tony in his rage. Thor had flown off chasing one of the Legionnaires that had escaped with the scepter. He’d the been the only one able to follow it at the time. When he’d return to report that he had lost it a hundred miles out to the north, they’d agreed that raging on each other wasn’t the answer.

The final consensus was that if the Winchesters were involved, at least it was a lead. They packed up and headed towards Superior, Nebraska, to meet with Sam. Bruce could be of great help if this really was a virus. The jet was up and heading west within a half hour of their last contact with Dean. 

“Hey, I, uh, can’t really talk right now,” Sam had gasped out when Tony had finally connected via phone. Tony could hear Sam’s harsh breathing and lowered voice, so he was obviously hiding from someone or something. He’d silently urged Natasha to push the jet harder before replying.

“Hang in there, kid. We’re on our way.” When the line disconnected, they all were imminently more worried, as a single murder bot that they couldn’t find wasn’t as urgent at the moment as a mystery virus that killed people within hours. And the one thing they could do until they had more on the vanishing woman or Ultron was help the Winchesters. 

*****

Sam had faced down the virus-infected group and was now researching on the hospital computer, when he started hearing a woman’s voice singing a soulful ‘Oh, Death’ from down the hallway. Pulling his gun, he followed the voice, walking as quietly as he could, watching for any shifting shadows that would indicate something about to jump out at him. As rounded the next corner, he spotted a woman kneeling beside one of the bodies. Her dark skin and curly hair blended into the dark, chocolate of her leather jacket. Without turning around, her eyes came up and she smiled softly. 

“Hey, Sam.” Sam swallowed.

“How do you know my name? Who are you?” She slowly stood and pivoted smoothly to face him, her arms lax at her sides, not phased by the handgun pointing at her head. 

“Hmmm. I think you mean ‘what’?” Sam’s brow furrowed and she tilted her head. “Here’s a hint. You and your brother been real good for business lately.” As the realization dawned on him, his arms lowered the gun, knowing it would have not affect whatsoever on her. She took a step forward, putting herself into a dark spot where the lights had been blown, effectively making herself just a dark shape standing in the hallway, not menacing yet. 

“You’re a reaper.” His breath was a whisper, but she smiled and pointed at him in emphasis.

“And the circle gets the square.” She took a step towards him, stepping out of the shadow and the light fell across her beautiful features. He’d never seen her before but that didn’t mean anything. If anything, he and Dean both knew from past experience that not recognizing a reaper didn’t mean that hadn’t met them before.

“What’s…what’s your name?” He asked, trying to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. She smiled wider. Before she could reply, there came the sound of face-paced footsteps and Captain America, Bruce, and Clint came around the corner from behind her. She didn’t flinch but Sam threw up his hand to stop them from getting any closer. He glanced worriedly from her to them. They stopped, giving Sam a confused look as to them, he was alone in the hallway. 

“Sam?” Steve asked, taking another step forward. The reaper shifted her eyes behind her without turning her head, causing them to suddenly gasp as she allowed them to see her. Sam shook his head quickly, gesturing again for them to stop and not interfere.

“Hmm, you flirtin’ with me, kid?” Sam swallowed. “Cause, no offense but you ain’t my type. And I’m not looking to get friendly with the man who helped gut my boss.” Cap took a battle stance but didn’t make a move forward. Clint already had his bow nocked but it was still trained on the floor in front of him. Sam knew it could be up and fired before she fully turned around, but like his gun, it would do nothing to her. 

“I’m sorry about Death.” The reaper nodded sagely.

“So am I. But people are still dying. So, work to do, souls to collect.” She looked around at the Avengers, all of whom felt a small chill from her direction. As she turned back to the young hunter, “Messages to deliver.” Sam shivered and frowned. He was honestly saddened about Death’s demise and worried that she was here for him. 

“What kind of messages?” He rolled his shoulders in nervousness. She shifted subtly, letting a hip drop and her hands come up to hook into her beltloops on her jeans, giving her a relaxed air. 

“You and Dean?” Her soulful voice started with a lilt, causing his eyebrows to go up. “Dying and come back again and again? The old Death thought it was funny. But now there’s one hard, fast rule in this universe. What lives, dies.” Sam swallowed hard, his eyebrows relaxing as the understanding flooded him. “So the next time you or your brother bite it? Well, you’re not going to Heaven or Hell. One of us, and Lord, I hope it’s me, we’re gonna make a mistake and toss you out into the Empty. And nothing…nothing comes back from that.” 

She raised a hand to gesture at his neck, where the spidery black tendrils of the virus were crawling through his veins towards his head. “I know you’re dying. I can feel it.” Sam lamented for only a moment, his face already drawn and haggard from the last few weeks of working to free Dean from the Mark. He registered minute reactions from the superheroes behind him as they took in her meaning. “You’re unclean in the biblical sense. So, I’ll be seeing you again, Sam. Seeing you real soon.” She turned away from him as though to walk away, towards his friends, but paused to turn her head back over her shoulder to smirk. “Name’s Billie, by the way.”

And like that, she was gone and all that remained was Sam Winchester, a few corpses, and half of the Avengers. The tall man heaved a sigh, blinking as he put his weapon back into the waistband at the back of his pants. 

“Sam?” Bruce asked this time, the spell broken. They all looked around before rushing to his side. Sam gave a tentative smile.

“Hey guys. Welcome to the end of the World. Again.”


	3. Ultron Recruits the Maximoffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nuff Said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but you can see why.

Across the world, in Sokovia, two teenagers were wandering in a war-battered old church. The blond boy turned quickly and placed himself between his sister and the threat, when he heard the voice come from behind them.

“Did you know that this church is in the exact center of the city?” The auburn-haired girl with the fiery eyes looked around her brother’s shoulder at the shadowed figure under the filthy blanket. Glowing eyes peered back at the two of them. “The elders decreed it so that everyone could be equally close to God. The Darkness only scoffs but I like that. The geometry of belief.” The girl’s brows furrowed in confusion and her brother looked between them warily. “You’re wondering why you can’t look inside my head.” She scowled, having been caught trying to get a glimpse of his mind, but she shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Sometimes it’s hard,” she stated defiantly. “But sooner or later, every man shows himself.” When the figure under the blanket stood, towering over them at nearly two foot taller than the boy, and the blanket fell away revealing the brushed metal body of Ultron, they gasped and shrank back.

“Oh, I’m sure they do.” The mechanical mouth said with a smirk, the glowing eyes amazingly narrowing in mirth. “But you needed something more than man. That’s why you let Stark take the scepter.” Wanda and Pietro both swallowed hard and thrust their chins out in unison. Twins twinning.

“I didn’t expect this. But I saw Stark’s fear. I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct.” Ultron gripped his metal hands behind his back, his new body amazingly flexible, as he strolled around them slowly.

“Everyone creates the things they dread.” He nodded to himself. “Men of peace create engines of war. Invaders create avengers. Villains create heroes. People create…smaller people? Uh…children! I lost the word there. Children. Designed to supplant them, to help them…end.” He looked up at the sky and Pietro would have sworn the metal man was sneering. “They do not realize that last part until it’s too late.” Wanda boldly stared up at Ultron.

“Is that why you’ve come? To end the Avengers?” He turned his head to smile at her and her brother, stopping his meandering to half face them.

“I’ve come to save the world.” Wanda and Pietro both narrowed their eyes at him and he understood that they knew there was much more to it than he was giving away. “But also, yeah. Let’s move to a more private location.” 

And with that, Ultron escorted the twins with a gesture. He lifted into the air, with Wanda rising behind him. Pietro raced as a blur along the ground below them. When they arrived back at Strucker’s headquarters, they were further surprised. The snow had mostly melted but the castle had not be secured properly so the doors were partially open, allowing the melting snow to seep across the stones. Ultron lead them deep into the bowels to where all of the manufacturing bays were hard at work replicating the Ultron mechanical man figure. To their view there were hundreds in progress. 

Ultron stood proudly. 

“This is a start, but there’s something we need to begin the real work.” Wanda’s eyes were round and staring. Pietro was speechless.

“All of these…,” she gasped out. “All of these are…”

“Me. I have what the Avengers never will. Harmony.” When both twins turned their astonishment on him, he huffed a very human laugh. “They’re discordant, disconnected. All humans are. Stark’s already got them turning on each other. Nothing can unite them in time…”

“Everyone’s plan is not to kill them,” Pietro said in almost question. 

“And make them martyrs? I’ve seen evidence that martyrs rally too well.” He shook his head, thinking of the knowledge the Darkness had put into his mind before moving on with her own plans elsewhere. “You need patience. Need to see the big picture.” Pietro scoffed.

“I don’t see the big picture. I have a little picture. I take it out and look at it every day.” The mechanical man gave them a sympathetic look, which unnerved Wanda.

“Ah, your parents that you lost in the bombings. I’ve seen the records.” He nodded and Pietro made a slashing gesture with his hand, dismissing Ultron’s statement.

“The records are NOT the picture.” Wanda laid one delicate hand on his forearm in sympathy, compassion, but also warning. 

“Pietro…,” she sighed sadly. Ultron raised a hand to stop her.

“No, please. Continue.” Pietro began pacing away from his sister and the tall mechanical man as he let his sorrow pour into his words.   
“We were ten years old, having dinner, the four of us. When the first shell hits, two floors below, it makes a hole in the floor. It’s big.” He turned, pacing back towards them, running a hand through his golden blond locks, looking only at his feet or the wall as he recalled his worst memory. “Our parents go in, and the whole building starts coming apart. I grab her,” he gestured to his sister. “We roll under the bed and the second shell hits. But it doesn’t go off.” Here he stopped and looked at his sister. “It just…sits there in the rubble, three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word…” Wanda blinked.

“Stark”

“We were trapped for two days.”

“Every effort to save us, every shift in the bricks, I think, ‘This will set it off.’” Wanda and Pietro reached out and grasped each other’s hands. “We wait for two days for Tony Stark to kill us.”

“I know what they are.” He pulled her into his hug. Ultron watched him, internally smirking, knowing the knowledge the Darkness had put into his head about these two was correct and they would be perfect for their plans.

“I wondered why only you two survived Strucker’s experiments. Now I don’t.” They laid their foreheads together, siblings, sharing comfort. “We will make it right. We must find them and their friends, men called the Winchesters.” Here both heads turned to look at him in question. He waved their questions away. “They must be removed along with the Avengers. We can hurt them all, but you,” he laid a hand on Wanda’s shoulder, “will tear them apart from the inside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now back to our heroes....


	4. Virus-Schmirus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's faith.

By the time Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow had finished securing the area, including rounding up and incapacitating the infected without letting them touch them per Bruce’s warning, Bruce was in the hospital lab looking at blood samples, Clint was leaning against the lab door, watching the hallway, but on his cell phone and Steve was grimacing at the black lines still creeping up Sam’s neck.

“Looks bad,” Steve said, leaning forward as Sam pulled his collar back to get a better look and to help Bruce have a closer inspection. Sam was sweating and shaking a little, but he tried to smile, even if it came out sadder than he intended. 

“It’s not quite Croatoan, but yeah, it’s bad.” Bruce looked thoughtful and shook his head. Steve leaned back on the stool in front of Sam. 

“So you’re saying this not that demon virus?” Sam shook his head.

“No, I don’t believe so. The timing of the Darkness being released and this appearing it too coincidental for it to be demons.” Sam shrugged with one shoulder. Steve and Bruce glanced at each other in surprise. “And this kills a lot faster.”

“So you said it from infection to death is usually a 4-6 hours?” Bruce asked, chewing on the earpiece of his glasses, his other arm crossed over his chest. Sam nodded. “Well, how long have you been infected?” When Sam grimaced, Bruce lifted one eyebrow.

“Around 8 hours.” Both of the Avengers eyebrows went up.

Just then the other three came into view in the hallway, even though Clint didn’t even flicker his eyes up from where he was gazing at the wall across from him. Anyone else would think he was unaware of them, but his team knew that he’d known before they’d even arrived via the stairs a few hallways away that they were there and who was in the group coming his way. 

“That’s a negative,” he said quietly to the person on the other end of the phone call. “I answer to you.” There was another pause where one side of his mouth flicked up for only a second before settling again. “Yes, Ma’am.” 

Natasha touched his elbow as she passed him to come into the lab and he glanced up at her. 

“Gotta go,” he told the other person before ending the call. He pocketed the phone and turned to follow them into the room, trusting that the area was secure, but leaving his ears open for wayward zombies. Steve raised one eyebrow at him as he came to hop up on the lab table next to him.

“Girlfriend,” and he cut off the curiosity before it began by gesturing over to Sam, where Natasha stood a foot away, not touching, but standing close enough to offer support of her presence. Sam was giving her a very soft smile. Her smile back was infinitely more fragile. 

“Tash,” the tall hunter sighed. She reached towards him before pulling back.

“Sam,” Tony clucked his tongue, leaning against the lab table next to Clint. He was still in the suit, sans headpiece. “Do we need to stick you in a medical grade bubble with Stark reinforced polymers to keep you out of a hospital?” Natasha glared at him for a moment but quickly turned her soft gaze back on the tall man.

“Dean wouldn’t fight that,” Sam smirked with a shake of his head. 

Bruce cut them off before they could get started with the bantering, knowing time was off the essence. He quickly filled the rest of them in on what he knew so far. He explained the virology as he understood it from Sam and the symptoms he’d seen in Sam, as well as the tests he’d been able to run so far, which included some radiology and some serology methods. So far, it was like nothing he’d ever seen. When he came to the timeline and Sam’s own outlying timeline and presentation, none of them were really surprised. During their first encounter, Sam had been near death for something that would have killed a normal person long before but had survived. They all knew now that his biology was beyond normal human.

“Could your delayed presentation of symptoms be because of your unusual biology?” This was Bruce, still chewing on his glasses. Sam turned to him and shrugged again.

“Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. But please, don’t tell Dean yet.” There were raised eyebrows and scoffs from all around him. He held up a hand. “He doesn’t know and he’s dealing with a lot right now, with handling the possessed baby, the removal of the Mark, and killing Death.” Now, there were gasps. “Oh, he didn’t share that yet, huh?”

“Literally killed Death?” Clint asked. Sam opened his mouth to talk, but again, Bruce refocused them.

“Okay, let’s figure out how to save Sam and the rest of these people, maybe cure this virus, then we can talk about the Winchesters and their unhealthy relationship with one of the four horsemen.” Sam gave him a grateful look. 

“So, uh,” Sam started, clearing his throat. “Since the Darkness is before the bible, Dean and I believe this is God with a big “G” level stuff.” Steve tilted his head. If he had been a dog, Tony knew his ears would have pricked up through his hair. “I prayed for guidance but all I got were visions of memories of being in the Cage with Lucifer. Since this is my fault-.” Thor scoffed loudly to cut him off.

“Friend Sam, before you begin to take on full blame for the current situation, let me personally assure you, this is no onus on you.” Sam raised his eyebrows at the golden god of thunder. “If it had not been you, it would have been someone else. The Mark was there and anything added can be removed, so it was destined to be removed and it just happened by your hand. We have all read and heard of your past and know enough that you and your brother were pre-destined for many world-ending events and this must be but one more. None were your fault and again, I will not allow you to shoulder this guilt for something determined long before now.” Sam sighed deeply. He didn’t nod, but gave a brief, weak smile in gratitude. He knew that if it had not been for him being infected, he would have already felt the heavy hand that had wielded Mjolnir on his shoulder in support and brotherhood.

“Anyway,” He resumed. “I have no idea what the visions mean. I mean, when the wall broke, I had hallucinations but these were just straight memories. And they felt like they were being pushed into my brain rather than pulled up by my own mind.” He threw up his hands in helplessness. 

Clint crossed his legs and leaned forward. Natasha settled onto a stool next to Bruce, who laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. Tony and Thor looked like they were deep in thought but Steve frowned.

“Billie..?” he said, eyeing Sam thoughtfully. Sam nodded.

“The reaper you guys met.” The three who hadn’t been there blinked in surprise. “Story for later.”

“She said you were dying.” Steve cringed slightly, realizing that Natasha was growing very agitated hearing that. Sam ducked his head and nodded again. “That you were unclean. In the biblical sense.”

“And I don’t think she was talking about the demon blood,” Sam said, lifting his head to meet Steve’s eyes as his brain began to connect the dots that Steve was presenting to him without really understanding them himself. “How did they cleanse unclean people in the Bible?” He knew the super soldier was very Christian so he’d probably know. 

“They were burned with holy oil, but surely she didn’t mean that everyone infected should be burnt in holy oil.” Bruce’s eyes lit up in thought as well. Tony made a disgusted face, dismissing the idea out of hand.

“Well, it would keep it from spreading,” Bruce muttered, but Sam’s mind was already racing ahead, or rather racing to the other side of the room where the weapons bag Dean had left him with lay. 

“Or maybe it’s not that literal,” Sam murmured partially to himself. He jumped up and carefully, not to touch any of them, he ran towards the bag. They were all alert and were watching him with concern. He dug in the bag and pulled out the earthenware jug of holy oil. “Maybe the burning oil just has to touch the infection to burn it out.” Bruce jerked to attention and smiled.

“Okay, I see!” He jumped up to get a metal pan, some forceps and some gauze. Sam smiled at him, bringing the jug over. He popped off the cork and poured a cup or so of it into the metal pan, then took the forceps up from where Bruce had laid them down, locking them into position around the gauze squares. Sam reached into his jeans pocket for the ever present lighter, always useful for burning corpses or evidence. With a quick flick, the oil was alight and blue flames flickered nearly invisibly from the pan. 

Sam took a deep breath and dipped the gauze into the burning oil, letting it soak in and carry the flame out with it. Knowing how all of them except Bruce would try to stop him once they realized what he was doing, he didn’t pause as he pressed the burning gauze to the black lines on his neck.

As predicted, they all jumped up to reach for him, gasping out his name of swears, but Bruce stood between the tall man and his teammates, holding out his arm to ward them off. Even as Sam groaned and nearly screamed with the horrible pain as he felt the flame race along his veins, burning out the virus, he received another forced vision of his time in the Cage. Surely it meant something, but the pain was his focus at the moment. 

Another moment and the feeling of his entire vascular system being on fire finally faded, leaving him gasping, leaning heavily on the lab table. Bruce grabbed the forceps from him and pushed the flaming metal pan with the burning gauze away from them. 

“Sam…,” he started cautiously. The hunter gasped a few more breaths before he was able to stand all the way up again. They watched him go over to the mirror above the sink in the corner and look at himself. He pulled his shirt all the way open to trace the veins down his neck and across his chest. He let out a heavy breath once he was sure the virus had been burned out and he was again ‘clean’. He turned to face his friends, a more genuine smile on his lips, and held out his arms to show them it was gone. 

Bruce was the first to rush over and examine him. He insisted on taking some bloodwork and doing a few basic tests before he declared that it appeared that Steve’s idea had cured Sam of the virus. Natasha turned and threw her arms around Steve in gratitude. He blushed as he hugged her back, releasing her so she could give the same enthusiastic hug to Bruce. She whispered a thank you into his ear, then turned and leapt at Sam, who eagerly caught her and held her waist and the back of her head to lean down to hug and kiss her gently. 

Clint rolled his eyes with a smirk.

“Don’t we get enough of that without the life and death stuff?” Now even Tony laughed and Thor walked over to lay his heavy hand on the hunter’s shoulder, letting him know that though it had been delayed by the virus, but Thor still meant his words from earlier. Natasha stepped back and helped Sam rebutton his shirt before she patted his chest and winked at him. 

“Well,” Tony stood up and called the Iron Man mask back into place. “How do we do that to all those people we locked up earlier?” Bruce and Sam shared a look.

*****

An hour later, they confirmed that everyone they could find who was infected had been rounded up and cleansed in a ring of holy fire. All of the survivors had cried and hugged the Avengers, as well as Sam, and thanked them profusely. Sam still felt bad about causing them to be infected in the first place, as well as felt the weight of all the dead people they gathered and burned, but he didn’t voice that to his friends. He knew they would argue with him and try to make him believe otherwise. Perhaps it was the visions of his Cage time that prodded his feelings towards ‘my fault, my sins’, but logically, he knew it was true. 

By the time they were done, Dean had returned to the hospital, himself looking very upset and downtrodden. Sam had hugged his brother with a look over his shoulder at the superheroes, reminding them at a glance not to let on to Dean how close he had come to dying. None of them looked happy about it, but Dean looked shell-shocked, dirty, bruised, and angry, so they let it go for the time being. 

“Shall we convene somewhere locally for ‘story time’ before we decide on next steps?” Steve asked once they were all gathered and had reconnected. “And this time, I think it may be equal on both sides and not just a Winchester tale.” Dean and Sam eyed each other for a moment before nodding at the superheroes. 

“Definitely time to talk about Death, the Darkness, and the murder bot,” Dean scoffed.


	5. Everyone up to Speed Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summarizing

Twenty minutes later, they were all settled in the cafeteria of the hospital, fresh coffee made and dispensed. Dean had sniffed out the desserts in the back cooler and had laid out selections of pie, cake, and cobbler. He had grabbed one of the slices of peach pie, Tony was nibbling a slice of pear cobbler, and Thor had placed three slices of a very old, dry sheet cake onto his own plate. Everyone was seated around one of the long cafeteria tables, each with a cup of coffee, tea, or a bottle of water in front of them. Natasha was seated next to Sam, leaning into him, offering him support, as he looked down sadly, slowly peeling the label off the water bottle. 

It seemed there was a lot to talk about as it had been a few weeks that they’d all be split up, with the Avengers off in Sokovia and Sam, Dean, and Cas on their own missions looking for a way to remove the mark of Cain. Dean kept shifting his gaze around the room, but always came back to Sam, whose gaze would flick up to meet his before shying away guiltily. 

“So where is Castiel?” Thor asked between large bites of his vanilla cake. Before either Winchester could do more than look up at Thor, they heard the flutter of wings and Castiel stood behind Thor.

“Hello, Thor,” his gravelly voice rumbled out. All eyes flew to him and Dean leapt to his feet, reaching for him, but it was Thor who caught the battered angel before he fell. Bruce raced around the table, as did Sam, but Dean froze in his tracks, his own inner turmoil stopping him. 

Thor settled him into the chair he had vacated, then stepped back to allow Bruce and Sam in beside him. 

“Cas!” Sam cried as he knelt beside him. 

“Cas, tell me where it hurts,” Bruce said, going right into doctor mode. Cas shook his head and waved them both away, glancing fleetingly at Dean before turning his head painfully towards Thor, who was immediately handing over a small vial filled with a glowing bluish light. Cas mouthed a ‘thank you’ from his swollen lips before popping the cork and slugging it back. Within seconds, Cas was fully healed, and even his clothing was blood and tear free. Sam reached out to hug him to him, to which Cas gently returned the hug.

“Sam, I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” He glanced over at Dean again before turning back to the group at large. Dean swallowed, then came over. 

“Cas, I’m so sorry man.” The angel in the trenchcoat stood to meet his friend halfway. His blue eyes went immediately to the arm where the rolled-up sleeve revealed the absence of the Mark. He immediately looked over at Sam who half-smiled and nodded. There was something else there but Cas knew he’d find out in time. 

“So it’s true? Rowena’s spell succeeded and the Darkness has been unleashed?” Sam and Dean both sighed and nodded. Cas nodded with a small hum to himself before turning and embracing an unsuspecting Dean. Dean startled but then returned the hug, holding him tightly for a moment of emotion before releasing him. 

“Yeah, Sam’s gambit worked but at what cost?” Dean growled. Sam immediately swallowed and stepped back, head down. Dean glared at him for a moment before his gaze softened. “Sam…come here.” When Sam didn’t even look up, Dean stepped around the angel and grabbed him for another fierce hug. It was like all the fierce aggression that the Mark had caused had been transformed into fierce love and emotion. Sam leaned into the hug only a moment before stepping back and quickly wiping his eyes. They looked around the Avengers, who were utterly entranced at this display, since they’d seen the brothers fight, but never shy away from each other. 

Dean cleared his throat and directed everyone to sit down again. 

“Uh, why don’t we start with you guys and Sokovia and then Cas and Sam can fill you in from their end and I’ll add in what I can since the Mark kinda had me in a fog for a lot of it.” Steve and Tony shared a raised eyebrow, then Tony nodded for Steve to begin.

“You know we had tracked Loki’s spear and Hydra to Sokovia,” he said, leaning forward onto the table. Once Team Free Will had nodded in acknowledgement, he cleared his throat and continued. “You also probably saw a lot of the battle on the news, but we were able to infiltrate and shut down the castle Strucker and his men were using as a base. Tony was able to secure the septer but we also ran into a few enhanced.”

“Enhanced?” Sam asked with a tense tilt to his head. Natasha laid a hand on his back and felt some of the tension ease. 

“People given superpowers,” Tony chimed in. He rolled his eyes and waved his hand in a general gesture. “Hydra’s been trying to make their own version of a supersoldier, but they’ve been using magic since they haven’t been able to get the serum to work on their end.” Dean threw up a hand.

“Wait, so if they’re made with magic, can we find a spell to turn off that magic?” He glanced at Sam who raised both eyebrows in thought, before both of their heads swiveled back to where Tony and Steve sat on the other end of the table. Tony gestured at Thor.

“That’s more Thor’s expertise as I mostly deal in science.” Thor put down his fork and leaned back.

“It’s most likely magic from the mind stone that is the source of power in Loki’s spear. It’s power much greater than Asgard has ever been able to use. There is a vault that only the All-Father has access to where such power is stored. It’s where the tesseract is, as well as several other artifacts that are too powerful to attempt to control. The goal was to take the spear back to Asgard for storage in the vault, but that was thwarted by Tony’s unseemly desires.” He turned a thunderous gaze onto Tony, who bristled and glared around at them.

It was Dean’s turn to be completely surprised. 

“Unseemly desires?” To be honest, he knew Tony’s history, which included the sexual debauchery, as well as the weapons gone haywire, and was honestly hoping it was the first and not the second. Tony must have been reading his mind because he made a disgusted face before replying.

“Me and Bruce wanted to just get a peek inside.” Bruce glared at him once before glancing around guiltily, having already had this argument with all of them. “We scanned it and realized it was a living structure, like synapses firing in a brain. So we used the three days we had the scepter before Thor was supposed to take it to Asgard after the party to run some sequences to see if we could learn from it, maybe use it to get my own AI project up and running better.” Sam groaned and dropped his head in his hands. He knew Tony well enough to know where this was leading.

“Ultron,” he muttered from behind his hands. Natasha leaned over and kissed his shoulder. Only Clint raised his eyebrow at that. She had never been really affectionate in public like this, but he guessed the stress coming off the tall hunter and the semi-privacy of the room at the time was enough for her to let her guard down. 

“And Jarvis,” Bruce said softly, but it was loud enough they all heard it and the hunters and the angel all looked up in surprise.

“Jarvis?” Dean asked. “What did that thing do to Jeeves?” Tony grimaced.

“The Ultron program woke up, destroyed Jarvis, and then took over the entire Legionnaire program.” Bruce shrugged, rubbing his lower face. 

“Damn,” Dean mumbled. “So we lost Jarvis and Charlie.” This time, Sam flinched. The Avengers returned the surprised look.

“What happened to Charlie?” Clint asked. He’d really liked the little red-headed hacker. She was awesome at video games and had talked him and Thor into going LARPing with her and Dean once. She’d been fun, truly awesome.

“Me,” came Sam’s small voice. Everyone gasped, even Natasha pulled away from him for a moment. Dean glared at him again before turning his head away. Cas gave him a sad look. “She died helping me get the Mark off of Dean. I recruited her, Rowena, Crowley, and Cas to get the spell out of the Book of the Damned. I was obsessed with saving Dean. But the Stynes, a powerful, old family, who had originally owned the book, wanted it back and my lies and obsession got her killed, but before she died, she sent the final translation via email.” Sam kept his head down, tears threatening to fall. Natasha had left her hand on his back but was unable to lean back towards him. Clint frowned more at her actions than at his own upset. 

“The Stynes?” Tony asked, with murder in his voice. Dean didn’t turn his death glare from the window he was staring out of. 

“Taken care of.” The finality and the crossing of his arms said enough. The subject was dropped. 

“So Crowley and Rowena,” Clint asked slowly, “The King of Hell and his 200 year old witch mother, helped you do the spell? Voluntarily?” Sam shrank in a little more. Cas took pity.

“Not willingly.” Cas’ face was just on the sad side of stoic. “Sam trapped Rowena with magic manacles, and Crowley still had just enough humanity from Sam’s blood from the trials to help without too much of an argument. But after Dean had disappeared, then called Sam away, she escaped, tried to kill Crowley by using her ‘feral’ spell on me.” Sam looked up in horror at his angel. He gasped his friend’s name, but Cas shook his head. “They both got away and I ran to keep from hurting anyone. But I was found by some of the dissenting angel faction who aren’t happy about Heaven not being fully reopened yet. They still blame me so they drained me and beat me, thinking I was working with Metatron and could tell them how to reopen Heaven so they could all return freely.” Sam gulped and a tear fell. “I had enough faux grace from the Asgardian potion left that I was able to escape and when I heard Thor say my name, I came here. I had gone to bunker but it was still in disarray and could not locate either of you because of the sigils on your ribs.”

Dean’s glare faded into his own guilty look at Cas. The Avengers knew there was far more to this but there always was with the Winchesters. Dean cleared his throat again and redirected the conversation.

“So, these ‘enhanced’. Anything we need to worry about?” Steve looked between the broken team of hunters and their angel before taking the hint and letting it slide for now. 

“Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.” He tapped his thumbs together where his hands rested on the table. “Twins. Orphaned at age ten when the war in Sokovia dropped a shell onto their apartment building, causing it to collapse. That region has had a rough history. It’s nowhere special but it’s on the way to everywhere special.”

“What kind of powers?” Sam asked in a rough voice.

“From what Maria Hill has been able to gather for us, he’s got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostatis,” Bruce spoke up from where he sat between Steve and Cas. “She’s has neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, and mental manipulation.” Sam blinked in surprise, but Dean scowled. 

“In English for us non-geeks.” Tony rolled his eyes.

“He’s fast and she’s weird.” One of Dean’s eyebrows raised up. Clint caught the question before he could ask it.

“He’s so fast I didn’t even see him until he caught my arrow out of the air.” Sam, Dean and Cas gaped wide-eyed at that. “It threw me enough I was distracted and took a blast. Nearly tore me in half.” He tapped his side. “In the future, I’m going to be made of plastic.” Natasha smirked and shook her head.

“Dr. Cho’s tissue regeneration with a simulacrum is not plastic, Clint.” She shook her head at her friend before turning to look back at Sam. “But Maria intel also said they volunteered for Stucker’s experiments.”

“That’s nuts,” Dean said. Steve sent him a strange look.

“Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?” Bruce shook his head as he laid a hand on Cap’s arm. 

“We’re not at war, Steve.” But Steve just looked away.

“But they are.” 

“And so how did this Darkness person come from the Mark?” Tony asked suddenly. Dean sat up with a sigh.

“According to Death, the Mark was the lock and key to the cage where the Darkness was locked away by God and the archangels at the beginning of time. The Mark was given to Lucifer, who was God’s most trusted at the time, but the Mark corrupted him and became a curse. Luci got Cage’d in Hell and he passed the Mark to Cain, the father of Murder, who passed it onto me.” Dean leaned back and stretched. 

“And only the spell from the book could remove it?” Bruce asked. Dean blinked and pointedly looked anywhere except Sam. 

“Death offered to remove it but it’d mean I’d have to share it with someone else to make sure she stayed caged, but I couldn’t do that to anyone else. Not with the horrors I’ve seen with this thing on my arm.” He rubbed the now blank spot on his arm absently. “His next offer was to relocate me somewhere off planet where I would live forever alone, but at least I wouldn’t hurt anyone else and I couldn’t hurt myself.” Again the Avengers reacted in shock. 

When Dean finally made eye contact with Sam, it was Sam who couldn’t maintain it. 

“Then Death tacked on one final stipulation for that route.” He paused, staring at Sam, many emotions drifting over his face, confusing the superheroes. “Before I left the Earth, Sam had to die.” Steve jumped up, eyes jumping back and forth between the brothers.

“You were going to kill your brother?!” Dean looked up at Steve with a steady gaze that honestly scared the supersoldier. Such determination and something else.

“I was. Hell, I even beat the shit out of him to get him to see it as the best option.” He gestured at the cuts and bruises that marred Sam. The Avengers had assumed those had been from the solo battle with the infected here. It was worse knowing his brother had done that to him. “Sam had been lying to me, used our friends. He got Charlie killed. Got Cas involved. Hell, he’d been ready to die during the trials, right?” All of the non-bunker group were looking on, horrified. The anger, the rage in Dean’s voice, and the shrunken in, defeated look on Sam, as well as the sadness from Cas, was so palpable that they were reminded again of how much this small group of seemingly ordinary men went through that most of the world never knew about. 

“But you didn’t,” was the amazingly calm, soothing voice from Thor. He understood wanting to kill your brother, but not being able to. “You couldn’t.” Dean deflated.

“Nah. Couldn’t do it. In the end, as I held Death’s scythe in my hand, all I could see was the scared little boy that I had raised. He was trusting me to do the right thing and after the beatin’, he trusted I’d make his death quick. And I just couldn’t. After all we’d been through together, I figured we’d die together. When I swung that scythe around and hit Death, I just figured he’d be mad enough to take both of us and that’d be okay, but instead, it killed Death. And damn if that didn’t shock the hell out of me.”

“Me too,” Sam said, looking up, wiping his face. But it was obvious to most of them that Sam was talking more about the fact that Dean hadn’t killed him, than that he’d killed Death. 

“Then I guess that’s when Rowena finally got that spell done, and beautiful timing by the way, because there was a lightening bolt into the restaurant that hit my arm. The mark disappeared, then the smoke cloud that rocked us all, and the Darkness is free.”

“So, Death is dead, the Darkness wants to destroy the world and is free and apparently did something to Stark’s Ultron program, creating a murder bot, also intent on destroying the Avengers.” Clint summarized it all with a huff, crossing his arms, trying not to let his secret fear show. Natasha knew but she was in her own head, thinking about everything she had learned in the last few hours. “Anything we miss?” Dean grimaced.

“Yeah, the Darkness got herself reborn as an infant named Amara, who eats souls by the way. And Crowley showed up and made off with the female baby version of Lucifer.” Tony threw up his hands.

“Why does everything associated with you guys sound like a really fucked up fairy tale?”


	6. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY short chapter.

“Are you okay?” Sam blinked as he looked up into Tony’s concerned eyes, where he now stood a few feet from Sam. They were both away from the rest of the combined teams as they discussed ideas and as none of them seemed feasible yet, Sam had drifted away, followed by Stark. Sam huffed a sad laugh and slid over on the bench in the courtyard outside the cafeteria. His eyes glanced over through the windows to where the rest of them were alternating between speaking and listening. Dean would glance over every now and again to catch his eye, but he always furrowed his brow and turned away. 

“No, not really,” the tall hunter said leaning forward, elbows on his knees, eyes closed. “But it’s all relative and we have much bigger fish to fry than my selfish inability to live without Dean. I mean, here we are, once again, end of times. Same reason, familiar dance.” Tony nodded, then gently clapped Sam’s shoulder.

“Hoping for a better outcome?” Sam huffed another laugh.

“Better than myself locked in the Cage in Hell with Lucifer and Michael and tortured for a year and a half because I wasn’t stronger? Better than hallucinations that nearly killed me because I wasn’t stable enough? Better than standing by and watching while Dean and Cas were sent to Purgatory and I didn’t do a thing to save them? Better than not having the strength to finish closing the gates of Hell?” He ran both hands over his face and through his hair before he threw himself back against the bench with a bigger huff. “Yeah, hoping, damn it, praying to God for a better outcome.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Tony said, turning to face the younger man. “None of that is accurate. I’ve read the books, talked to Dean and to Cas. In all of those scenarios, stuff was dire, I’ll give you that, but the world survived. Dean, Cas, YOU survived because you’re not only strong enough; you’re the strongest person I know. Besides Cap.” Sam raised an eyebrow at him and started to argue, but Tony held up one manicured hand.

“Believe me, I’ve seen weak and you’re anything but. Some of your decisions have been in moments of weakness but the strength always came out and diverted disaster.” Sam self-consciously shrugged a shoulder and looked away. “Besides, Ultron is definitely not all on you.” Sam frowned as he whipped his head around to Tony.

“You can’t blame yourself for Amara taking over your AI, Tony.” Tony glanced away guiltily.

“Well, no, but she wouldn’t have had such an easy time of it if I hadn’t created the Ultron program and the Legionnaires.” He rolled his eyes before Sam could say anything. “I know you know why I built the Legionnaires, but you don’t know that I convinced Bruce to help me scan the stone in Loki’s scepter to use the information to push Ultron forward. Bruce was against it, hell they all would have been if they had known, but we didn’t tell them that’s what we were doing. We…I told them we were just studying it before Thor took it to Asgard to be locked away. I lied to them. I made Bruce lie to them. I was trying to push and get Ultron finished as the ultimate-”

“You did WHAT?!?” Both men whipped around to see Steve standing at the double doors from the cafeteria, holding them open where he had been coming outside when he had head Tony’s little speech. Bruce was behind him and immediately ducked down. Clint and Tasha were standing warily behind them, eyeing between the two groups. Dean was right behind Steve and pushed forward past him. Cas was still seated at the cafeteria table, resting, with Thor by his side. 

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Dean roared. “You were building an ultimate weapon?! Not like that could ever go wrong!” He rounded the bench and started to reach for Stark to pull him up but Sam eased between them quickly, blocking Dean from yanking the shorter man up roughly. Tony immediately jumped up and danced away, staying behind Sam.

“Shield, not weapon,” he said quickly. “Ultron was supposed to be a shield around the world. Not a weapon. Jarvis would tell you!” Steve bowed up and rounded the other side of the bench, coming up on Tony’s un-Sam protected side. 

“Jarvis isn’t here, is he?” Steve was holding back his rage but only barely, as Clint and Natasha stared between them, eyes flickering between all four of them, trying to gauge the situation and see where they might have to jump in and break them up and who needed the protection more. “Destroying Jarvis first was part of Ultron’s strategy.” 

Bruce perked up, standing with more confidence as a thought came to him. 

“No, Ultron could’ve assimilated Jarvis. This isn’t strategy. This is rage.” Suddenly, as though he was finally caught up to what Stark had done, Thor flew over the bench and landed between Tony and Sam, grabbing Tony’s throat. As he lifted him up, the billionaire’s eyes bugged out and he kicked a little, trying to feel for the ground he could no longer feel beneath his feet. Clint swallowed hard.

“Woah, woah, woah! It’s going around.” 

Sam didn’t grab at Thor’s arm, but simply laid his hand on his shoulder, remaining tense but leaning down a bit so to be less intimidating, hoping to diffuse the situation. 

“Come on, Thor. Use your words.” Thor grunted before he let Tony down to the ground again as he turned away quickly, causing the hunter’s hand to fall away. 

“I have more than enough words to describe Stark.” Tony gestured to Sam that he was okay, but even the younger man frowned when Tony snickered. Dean strode closer and stuck his finger in Tony’s face. 

“You think this is fucking funny?” Tony snickered again but forced himself under control when he caught Sam giving him a very definite look suggesting it was dangerous to continue laughing.

“Language,” Steve said with a frown at Dean before staring down the billionaire. “The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD.” Tony rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. 

“Look, we can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but that that up there?” He pointed up, causing several of the others to glance upwards. “That’s the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?” Sam and Dean looked at each other, a small smile at the corner of both of their mouths. They had just had that same conversation after Death’s demise. 

“Together,” Castiel said quietly from where he had silently joined them during the hubbub. He also smiled at Sam and Dean before looking around to the superheroes, who responded with their own small nods or smiles. Tony shook his head and fell back onto the bench again. 

“We’ll lose.” Steve looked around at each member of both teams. A demi-god, a man with breath-taking anger issues, two master assassins, Iron Man, two hunters who had taken on Heaven and Hell and won, an angel, and himself, a super soldier.

“Then we’ll do that together, too.” Everyone was now looking at him. Even Tony had a thoughtful look on his face. “The world’s a big place.” He reached down and offered his hand to Tony, who hesitated only a moment before taking it and allowing his friend to pull him to his feet.

“Well, let’s start making it smaller.” He clapped Steve on the shoulder and turned to head towards where the jet was parked, not stopping to see if they followed him. Sam was the first to fall into step, then Dean, then Bruce, then the rest following. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I work in the medical industry and have been homeschooling my daughter so I've been super busy lately. But wanted to get this out there while I'm working on some longer chapters to come.


	7. Battle for Vibranium and Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams split and then come back together as they face the battle with Klaue, Ultron, and the twins.

“As soon as I can, I’m sure my mother will happily provide more of the potion,” Thor was saying as they filed into the bunker from the front door. Castiel had ridden in the jet with the majority of the superhero group, while Clint and Natasha had ridden in the Impala with Sam and Dean. As it had been such a short trip, with Superior being just across the border and less than an hour by car, Dean had refused to abandon Baby. 

“I appreciate your people’s continued generosity,” Castiel was replying as they stepped into the library area. Steve headed towards the bunker bathroom, passing the Winchesters and their passengers as they came in from the hallway from the garage. Sam nodded towards him, before settling at the library table where Tony and Bruce were setting up multiple laptops and other devices. Dean and Clint diverted to the kitchen to start the meal for everyone. Thor and Castiel were already heading down the hallway towards Castiel’s room for the last bottle of potion to replenish what he had lost in the last attack by the angels still hunting him for his part in Metatron’s duplicity.

Natasha had stopped in the doorway and watched as everyone split off into their groups. Her eyes finally landed on Sam’s broad shoulders, but only Clint would have recognized the unease she felt. She leaned in the doorframe, watching the three science bros begin typing away on their devices, trying to find Ultron and Amara, or at least some sign of where to begin. Sam seemed to feel her eyes and turned his tired eyes her way with a small smile. She allowed him a soft smile in return. He sighed before turning back, catching Bruce’s longing gaze before he could turn away and hide it. 

Sam had known that Bruce had a small crush on Natasha and that she felt something for him as well, but until this moment, he hadn’t seen any real evidence of it. Dean had known too but had held off on saying anything because he felt Sam deserved how happy the red-headed assassin made him. Now, with Sam’s own insecurities about his worthiness after releasing the Darkness, he wondered if she wouldn’t be better off with the doctor than with him. 

Once Sam’s attention was back on his computer, setting up coding to search based on filters and code-phrases to help them locate either of their villains, Bruce dropped his head back to his own computer, rubbing the bridge of his nose distractedly. Tony was tapping away on a tablet when he got an alert. His eyebrows went up and he immediately went to the largest laptop he had set up and pulled up the corresponding data. Sam furrowed his brow and leaned forward.

“Got something?” Tony nodded and spun the laptop to face Bruce and Sam.

“Uh, huh,” he muttered. “Take a look at this alert I just got.” On the screen was what looked like a cctv still of the inside of a concrete prison cell. A man’s body lay slouched on the bed and above his head, written in blood on the wall, was the word ‘peace.’ “Strucker.”

Bruce looked up at Tony’s face in surprise. 

“Tony, we need to get everyone on this one.” Tony sighed softly before nodding and typing something into the tablet he had laid aside. Within minutes, everyone was gathered in the Library. They discussed Strucker’s death and the bloody message.

“It’s a message,” Steve sighs. “Ultron killed Strucker.”

“And he did a Banksey at the crime scene,” came Tony’s sarcastic reply. “Just for us.”

“Neat,” Dean grinned, leaning in. Several faces turned his way and eyebrows were raised. Including Sam’s. “What? I like Banksy.” He shrugged and then rolled his shoulders, schooling the grin into his more serious face. Sam blinked at him and tried to hide his own grin at his brother.

“This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you’ve just given a speech?” She looked around and leaned back, letting Sam pull her close into his side. Steve nodded thoughtfully.

“Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss.” Natasha and Sam shared a look then both dove into their respective laptops, typing quickly.

“Yeah, I bet he…,” she said before trailing off. One shared glance with Sam, a shake of his head, and she turned back with a sigh. “Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased.” Tony’s eyes lit up.

“Not everything.” He stood up and began packing his equipment away. “We still have the physical files at the tower that Maria Hill insisted on being printed out.” Steve smiled before looking over at the bunker team. 

“You guys coming to the tower with us?” Dean looked at Sam and then Cas, then threw up his hands. 

“Nah, keep us up to date though. We got some connections and lore here to go through to see if we can track down Amara through magic or something.” Dean clapped a hand on Cas’ shoulder. “With Cas low on power, we’d rather be prepared to come at this from all angles rather than dive into a battle this big without more options.” Steve nods then looks around.

“Okay, well, update us as well if you find anything helpful.” With that, they all stood, gathering items to head to the jet and then back to the tower. Natasha was slower to stand, which drew Sam’s and Bruce’s attention. 

“I can contact my connections just as easily from here, Steve,” she said, throwing a meaningful look at Clint, who hid his reaction quite well. “Once we have a gameplan, or if you need me, I’ll make my way to you guys.” Steve nodded curtly. Tony smirked.

“Well, keep your ‘connections’ clean and use protection,” he laughed and then walked away quickly as Sam blushed furiously and Dean rolled out a deep laugh. Even Clint snorted. Even as Tony hit the top of the staircase, very nearly making a clean get away, he felt something brush by his right ear and froze, watching the magnetic tipped arrowhead thunk into the metal door frame next to him. He whirled but Clint already had his hands up with a look of amused surprise on his own face. And Natasha was turning away from where she had just been beside her fellow assassin and was taking Sam’s hand, leading the gaping young man from the room without a look back.

Tony hummed appreciatively, then gestured at the arrowhead.

“Clint, keep your toys out of Red’s hands, why don’t you?” He cleared his throat and hid the shudder he felt as he continued through the doorway. Clint snorted again from below. 

*****

With Dean more distracted than he has been lately, having had dreams about Amara, or maybe memories about their first meeting, Cas and Sam had spent a great deal of time and effort looking for any and all references to the Darkness and how to stop or defeat her. It was not good. Cas was sorely underpowered so hung around the bunker, mainly helping with translations and when they ran into dead ends, taking long naps or watching Netflix. Sam has resorted to praying to God to help them, to help him help Dean, to help him to help save the universe. But all he got in return were more visions of his time in the Cage and he was extremely frustrated. 

Natasha had been enjoyed the magical wards at the bunker so she could contact some of her more unscrupulous former associates and they wouldn’t be able to trace her back to that location. When she had exhausted her own avenues, she and Sam had taken their frustrations quietly to Sam’s room, but always ready to return after the break to pick up and keep going. Dean was confused about his attraction to Amara, especially seeing his brother’s relationship that was obviously going well. They were good for each other. Dean and Cas sometimes found themselves hunched over the metal table in the kitchen, sipping coffee because they were both lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Sam had noticed his older brother’s disquiet so he let Natasha and Cas know he was going to take Dean for a drive and they would be back. They had taken off in Baby for a few hours and finally felt the weight of the world loosen for a moment. Dean had talked Sam into letting him stop at some dive bar where he had met a female hunter years ago, but struck out as she had not been available while they were in town. When Piper, the waitress, had popped up in the back seat, Dean had incorrectly assumed Sam was cheating on Natasha but Piper’s anger at his assumption and Sam’s stress set him to right immediately. Sam had had another vision and Piper, who had been laid off from her job as a nurse, had seen him nearly seizing in the backseat and had jumped in to help him. And Dean had happened to come back to the car at that moment. 

On the way back, they had sung and laughed, noshing on road food and letting all the world’s worries wash away. Sam had not told his brother that the vision had been their father and that he had finally figured out what the visions and the message meant. They had enough going on that his own fears about having to face Lucifer again for him to burden Dean right now. He also didn’t share that he’d talked to Cas and there were hunters reporting that even all the monsters appeared to be terrified of something. It didn’t take much for he and the angel to figure out that they knew Amara was free and that the end of everything was coming. That, he shared with Dean, but not the certainty that he would have to visit Lucifer to get real help stopping Amara.

Upon returning to the bunker, Clint and the jet were waiting to take them to the tower urgently. Via a video call during the flight, Bruce, Steve, Thor and Tony shared their discovery of the connection with Strucker, Ulysses Klaue, Wakanda, and vibranium. They had a target and time was of the essence.

*****

The next leg of the flight was to Africa, where they found Klaue talking to Ultron. Cas had gotten the last portion of the potion that Thor had at the ready in case it was needed but was saving it for now. He was waiting in the jet with Banner, away from the possible battle, only to be called in as a last resort. The rest had gone in to confront and try to stop Ultron from taking the vibranium and moving forward with whatever his plans were.

When Iron Man landed where Ultron was ranting, with the twins beside him, there was a snarky exchange, with Steve trying to talk the teenagers into walking away and changing their lives. 

“Ugh! Captain America. God’s righteous man,” Ultron growled. He registered the unknown man behind Steve who smirked at that, but he didn’t know the green-eyed man, nor the taller man standing near Thor. “Pretending you could live without a war. I can’t physically throw up in my mouth, but-.” Thor took a step forward and raised himself to his full height, the unknown man behind him doing the same, but still standing an inch or so above the blond-haired demi-god. 

“If you believe in peace, then let us keep it.” Ultron shook his head at Thor.

“I think you’re confusing peace with quiet.” The shorter unknown man huffed in annoyance at the robotic man’s response, earning a glare. Tony glanced between the two from within the suit, then scoffed.

“Yuh, huh. What’s the vibranium for?” 

“I’m glad you asked,” the metal man shook his head. “Because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan!” 

Everyone flinched when the first Iron Legionnaire shot up from underneath the grating where Iron Man and Ultron faced off. More followed and the twins darted away to conduct sneak attacks. From the corridor where they had been watching the face-off, Klaue, holding his bleeding stump where Ultron had ripped his arm off, the mercenaries milled around uncertainly.

“Shoot them!” Klaue yelled, anger and pain tinging his voice.

“Which ones?” The dark-skinned African man next to him asked, while redirecting his AK-47 back and forth. Klaue’s face contorted.

“All of them!” Then it became a free-for-all. There were four teams clashing in an all out battle. The Avengers and Team Free Will fought everyone except each other. Ultron, the Iron Legion, and the twins fought all the others, and Klaue’s men shot at anyone not paid by Klaue. It was chaos. 

“Stay down, kid!” Captain America said after knocking Pietro to the ground as he sped by. Wanda watched worriedly from a side corridor, Ultron by her side. When he leaned down and told her it was time for mind games, she smiled and stepped out, keeping out of sight as she snuck up behind each of the Avengers and the two unknown men. 

“Guys, is a Code Green Wings?” Bruce asked, while leaning out of the jet rampway, with Cas leaning cautiously beside him, nervously fidgeting with the glowing vial in his hands. They could hear the sounds of battle through the comms, and faintly across the expanse between where the jet had been landed and the beached cargo ship where it raged. There was no answer directly as Steve asked for everyone to check in. 

Thor responded that the girl had tried to warp his mind but he arrogantly spouted how his mighty mind had kept her at bay, but then he’d gone quiet. Natasha had muttered something about broken people and then Steve had gone completely quiet. Bruce and Cas exchanged looks but held back from jumping in just yet. 

Wanda had tapped into Thor’s mind and left him reeling in memory of one of many celebrations on Asgard, but it featured a blinded Heimdall. Steve was lost in memories of the war dances, looking around for his Peggy, then finding the dance hall empty but Peggy there, telling him the war was over and it was time to stop. Natasha was watching other girls her age dancing ballet, interspersed with memories of her firing a gun and doing hand-to-hand battle with men much larger and stronger than she. When Wanda was satisfied these three were lost to the battle, she turned to the next nearest, the two unknown men. 

While Dean was getting frustrated with the blur that was the speedy twin that kept whipping by him just close enough to knock all his shots wide, he kept part of his senses on Sam, who was fighting hand to hand with one of the disarmed gun smuggler thugs. As long as Sam was good, Dean could continue to fight. He did, however, miss when the red tendril of Wanda’s magic drifted through the grating above his head and filtered into his mind. The metal gangplanks and walkways morphed in his vision into walkways made of fraying rope and bones, glowing red from Hell’s own torture pits. The grunts and cries of battle around him morphed into cries of the tormented souls and in the real world, he stood frozen, breath coming faster. 

Pietro smirked as he whipped past the shorter hunter again, this time angled to ram into the bulky man and throw him over the rail to his death below, but there was suddenly a young girl in front of him holding up a hand. The power radiated off of her and she glowered at Pietro, then turned her gaze up through the grating to the sister. 

“He is Dean Winchester,” the little girl said. “He is not to be harmed.” She smiled fondly up at the object of her affection, then glared at Pietro and Wanda again. “He is mine.” And both of them could feel her in their minds, the threat of their own destruction by this child very real. Pietro wavered off track. Wanda gasped, breaking the hold on the green-eyed man, and turned to duck around a corner. Before Dean could fully blink, the little girl gently touched his hand, then vanished.

Pietro felt Wanda’s wisp of wonder at the powerful being in the form of a child. She was the one outlying variable that they knew nothing about. Ultron had warned them about the green-eyed hunter named Dean Winchester, but if he had a secret guardian, it might be harder than they had imagined. Pietro focused on Captain America for the moment, landing blows he could not possibly block, until the moment Thor threw his hammer and Pietro tried to grab it in mid-air, thinking to take the weapon with ease.

Wanda revised their plan on the go, watching from the shadows as Dean kept an eye on the taller man, who was also an unknown. She figured if she could not harm Dean, then perhaps she could bring the taller one, and Dean would follow. With a dark smirk to herself, she drifted over the rail where she had been hidden and eased down directly behind the insanely tall man, raising her hands and letting loose the spell to capture his mind. 

Sam’s entire frame went stiff as the red mist that drifted from Wanda’s hands entered his mind. Her hands barely came to his shoulders, even reaching up, but her strong magic still captured the tall hunter. He gasped as a hard shudder wracked his body. Wanda began to smile until she caught a glimpse of his nightmare she was calling forth. While his fears weren’t much different than the others, the visions in his head were much bigger, much more horrific. There were images of flames, red eyes, dopplegangers, blood, gore, death, and destruction. There was a silky voice that broke into dark and terrible laughter. Wanda couldn’t catch her breath with the sheer weight of it all that poured from his mind into hers. 

“You leave Sam alone, you big booger!” Wanda blinked and pulled back, brow furrowing as the odd being in front of her prodding his finger into her chest above her breasts. Standing at about her height, the overweight man was wearing rainbow suspenders over a yellow striped shirt and bright blue pants, his belly hanging over the waistband. The face was amazingly innocent looking, even while frowning and glaring at her. She backed up a step and let the spell drift apart as the being leaned back, crossing his arms before blinking out of existence. 

Wanda stared around hard, then pulled back more as she heard Sam take a deep breath as her spell was broken. He gasped a few times and shook himself, looking around to ground himself. The Red Witch had already ducked back around a corner, frightened of encountering more of the supernatural beings that appeared to protect these non-super powered Winchesters. 

Finally, she spotted Hawkeye, the archer that her brother loved to torment almost as much as Iron Man. She snuck up behind him, watching him deftly pulling arrow after arrow and releasing them, taking out mercenary after mercenary, and using his specialty arrows to save his teammates from the Iron Legionnaires. She took a step closer, raising her hands to warp his mind and didn’t even have time to flinch as Clint whirled around, stabbing an arrow towards her head. Lucky for her, it was only an electric arrow, dialed down to not kill her, only disrupt her casting and hopefully stop more magic for a while.

“I’ve done the whole mind control thing,” he shuddered, remembering first Loki, then the demon. “Not a fan.” He was reaching to grab her before she fell but the blur that was Pietro sped in, knocking him down. Her brother picked her up and sped off. Clint jumped to his feet quickly. “Yeah, you better run.” He looked around, noticing how quiet the battle had gone recently. He could tell all the mercenaries had fled or were dead and the twins were gone. Ultron and his Iron Legion also appeared to be leaving with the vibranium. “Whoever’s standing, we gotta move! Guys?”

“Sam and I are with Natasha and Thor and they are out of it, dude,” Dean responded. “Can you get Steve?” Clint closed his eyes and took a deep breath, heading to where he could see Steve, helmet hanging from his fingers as though forgotten, as he wandered the catwalk, his gaze very far from the ship in Africa. He’d seen Stark take off after Ultron.

Pietro and Wanda huddled together, him hugging her to him after looking into her eyes.

“Ah, it hurts,” she muttered. He stood and turned to go.

“I’m going to kill him. I’ll be right back.” She reached out with her magic to tug him back towards her.

“No, he could have killed me and did not,” she groaned. “I’m over it. I want…I want to finish the plan.” They both turned to look where Bruce and Cas were standing nervously outside the jet. Cas’s eyes went wide and he threw the contents of the vial he held into his mouth and swallowed. “I want the big one.” 

Bruce’s eyes also went wide and he backed away. Cas moved to intercept but Pietro was carrying his sister and thus made them way too fast, so that Wanda warped Bruce’s mind before they escaped. Cas gasped as Bruce’s eyes began to glow, as well as his skin, and he began to grow into the Hulk. This was the first time the angel had seen this transformation or the Hulk in person and if he was truly human, he would have been terrified. As it was, his limited faux grace barely let him keep up with the Hulk as he leapt away, heading for the nearest populated city. 

Tony had cornered Ultron after shooting him from the sky. The metal man was laughing. 

“Uh, the vibranium’s getting away.” Tony landed in front of him, his wrist rockets aimed to keep him from escaping.

“And you’re not going anywhere.” Ultron laid back and sighed.

“Of course not. I’m already there.” He raised his head up to take in Stark’s startled look and smiled. “But first, you might need to catch Dr. Banner.” In rage, Tony finished off the Ultron model, not waiting to watch the light leave its eyes before shooting into the sky, already having Friday scanning for news footage of the Hulk. He finds more than he wanted to and headed that way.

“Natasha,” he called over the comms. “I could use a lullaby.” They all knew this was the code word for the method that the redhead used to calm the Hulk and allow Bruce to come forward. It was a calming technique and Hulk really responded to her. 

“Uh, that’s not’s going to happen,” came Sam’s voice instead of Natasha’s. Tony cursed to himself and picked up speed towards where the Hulk was wreaking havoc. 

“The whole team got whammied, Stark,” Dean’s voice filtered through. “Me and Sam seemed to have some magical protection, and Clint was just faster on the draw, but everyone else is down.”

“You got not back up here,” Clint chimed in. 

“I’m calling in VERONICA.” Tony growled while summoning the Hulk containment unit from the satellite that hovered in orbit. 

“You seen Cas?” Dean asked. 

“I’m following Hulk,” Cas’s gravelly voice came back. “He’s amazingly fast and I’m limited on power.” 

“Right behind you,” Tony alerted him as he spied Hulk several miles in front of him. He couldn’t see Cas but the angel was so unassuming that he could stand right next to Iron Man in an empty room and still startle Tony. 

While Sam, Dean, and Clint herded the others to the jet, then pulled them back to reality as gently as they could, Tony, wearing the new Hulkbuster armor that came with VERONICA, dove into stopping the Hulk. It was a dangerous battle, with many civilians caught in the middle. Tony did his best to redirect the green monster man away from people, successfully deploying VERONICA, even if all she did was slow him down. It was on the steps where Tony was pounding big green’s face, repeating “go to sleep”, but it wasn’t working.

Before the Hulk’s even angrier roar could knock Stark back, Cas landed near his head with the quiet flutter of his trenchcoat and leaned forward to touch Hulk’s forehead.

“Sleep,” he said firmly and Hulk’s eyes rolled back. Tony blinked in surprise and fell back to catch his breath as he began to shrink back down to Bruce. The military and police were moving in around them. There wasn’t time to deal with arrests, as Cas knew from dealing with Sam and Dean for years, so he lifted Bruce’s unconscious form and allowed Tony to lift them both and fly them back to the jet. 

Once all settled, Bruce awoke as himself, shaking and shivering. But Steve, Thor, and Natasha were similarly shaken. Clint was flying the jet, Sam, Dean and Cas were alternating between the stricken, giving them blankets, comforting smiles, or water. Tony checked in with Maria about the fallout of Hulk’s rampage. He had her call in the Stark Relief Foundation to help the city recover quicker and to pay for the damages. When she told him that they should run and hide for now, he agreed and hung up. Looking around at his friends and team members, he felt the need to stop and hide, the rest and recover. 

He was glad to have Team Free Will with them because while the brothers were not super-powered, they had somehow come away from the girl’s mind tampering without being whimpering messes and their angel had stopped Hulk long before he would normally have been subdued. He finally sighed, walking up to where Clint sat in the cockpit. 

“Want to switch out?” Clint didn’t take his eyes off the screens. 

“No, I’m good.” He finally glanced back, then at Tony. “If you want to get some rest, now’s a good time. Because we’re still a few hours out.” Tony furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.

“A few hours from where?” Clint paused before replying softly, reluctantly.

“A safe house.” Tony tilted his head, but Clint offered nothing else. 


	8. Safe House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and the kids meet the gang.

“So this place is safer than the bunker?” Dean asked cautiously as the jet landed in the field a bit away from the large farmhouse. Clint gave an embarrassed half smile.

“What place is this?” Cas spoke up.

“It’s a safe house,” Clint replied, watching the angel for reactions. Cas’s head tilted and he looked around in confusion as they exited the jet. 

“Is it underground?” By now Dean looked confused. 

“Cas, it’s a farm.” He threw the arm not wrapping a blanket around Bruce in sweeping gesture to encompass the farmhouse, barn, paddock, garden, equipment shed. “It’s not underground.” Then his face lit up and he turned to give a hopeful look at Clint. Was he about to get to visit the super spy’s secret underground hideout? “Is it?” Clint huffed.

“No, nothing’s underground except the well and the cellars. And maybe a panic room.” Cas huffed at that.

“It’s just an empty field,” the angel groused. Sam cleared his throat as he wrapped his arm around Natasha to help her hobble along the path.

“Um, it’s fully warded,” Sam said with embarrassment. “I helped Nat and Clint figure out what was needed and instructed them on how to set it up. With the right plants in the right places, with shaped iron sigils buried in the right configurations, with the right spells renewed every six months or so, this entire area disappears from all maps and cannot be found by supernatural creatures.” He cringes over his shoulder at Cas as he and Nat pass him. “Even angels.”

“Dude,” Dean breathes out appreciatively. “That’s what you’ve been working on with Ginger and Sporty Spice these last few weeks?” The rest of the group snorted tiredly as they slowly made their way towards the house. Dean took Cas’s arm to lead him in as he couldn’t see what the rest of them could.

Clint glanced around at them and nodded. 

“Director Fury helped me set this place up when I signed onto the Avengers Initiative,” he smiled, gripping his bow gently. “And Sam helped me and Nat ward it so it stays hidden.” He led the way up a path that everyone except the angel could see and up the steps of a multi-storied farmhouse, complete with wrap-around porch and clapboard shutters. 

Cas tried to feel for the warding to make his way easier, but could honestly feel or see nothing. He was frustrated, but very impressed. To him, it appeared that everyone was stepping up into the air and disappearing into nothingness so he waited at what he assumed was the bottom of the steps. 

“I’ll just wait here then,” he said softly as the last of them disappeared from his view and senses.

Upon pulling open the screen door and hurrying ahead to warn the residents, Clint set his bow by the door. He made it to the center of the first room, just to the right of the stairs.

“Honey?” He called, looking around expectantly. “I’m home.” Most of the others were looking around in open curiosity and their attention focused on the open doorway across the room as a very pregnant woman stepped through it, her face lit into a smile. Her mouth was open in greeting but what she was about to say morphed into a silent blink as Clint walked towards her. “Hey. Um, company.” He gestured around him with his eyes before turning all of his attention back to the dark-haired woman he was wrapping into his arms. “Sorry I didn’t call ahead.” He kissed her forehead. 

“Hey.” She leaned up to kiss Clint, wrapping the arm holding the dish towel around his waist. Her eyes went to the large group in her living room.

Dean smiled politely with a nod, his eyebrow going up in question as he glanced at Sam beside him, who shrugged with a half smile. Tony, always the one to break awkward situations with levity, half turned to Thor, who stood next to him.

“This is an agent of some kind.” It was almost a request for confirmation rather than a statement. Clint took pity on them and smiled broadly, squeezing the woman closer to his side.

“Gentlemen, this is Laura, my wife.”

“I know all of your names,” Laura said with a smile. 

Before the shock of that could settle in with the superheroes and Dean, the thunder of running children pounded down the stairs and around the corner. “Incoming!” Clint’s smile got broader and the released Laura to greet the pre-teen boy and little girl in pigtails who threw themselves at him. 

“Daddy!” The little girl squealed as Clint caught her midair and lifted her up for a kiss and a hug. 

“I see her!” Clint laughed with her as he threw his other arm around the boy, hugging him tightly, kissing the top of his head. “Hey buddy. How are you guys doing?” Both of the children hugged him tightly and he turned, facing his friends again. The boy gripped Clint’s belt, standing bravely facing the group. The little girl snuggled into his neck. “Look at your face! Oh, my goodness.” 

Tony, who prided himself on knowledge, using his intelligence to be ahead of the game, felt out of his depth. 

“These, of course, are smaller agents.” Steve, Bruce, Thor, and Dean, as well as Tony, looked thoroughly confused and surprised.

“Hi Uncle Sam. Did you bring Auntie Nat?” the little girl asked the tall man shyly. Only Dean really caught the smirk on Laura’s face and slight cringe on Sam’s at the hunter’s moniker. Natasha’s composure changed from hurting and vulnerable to confident and fun-loving instantly, not really surprising Sam, as she stepped from where she had been obscured by his large frame and rushed to pick up the squealing girl where she’d jumped from Clint’s arms. 

“Why don’t you hug her and find out?” Natasha hugged the girl to her and then leaned down to hug the boy, to distract them and give Clint a moment with the rest of them. Sam hurried over silently and crouched down to talk to the kids as well, which prompted raised eyebrows from the rest of them as well. Laura only laughed and shook her head. Steve was the first to truly recover.

“We’re sorry to barge in on you like this.” Laura gestured at him to forget it.

“Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea you existed.” Tony glared at Clint, partially hurt that his friend had kept this from him. Dean was staring thoughtfully at the back of Sam’s head in a similar manner. Sam, however, must have felt him looking because he glanced back over his shoulder at his brother with a shrug. Clint shrugged too.

“Well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined.” He motioned around the room to include everything, not just his wife and kids. “He kept it off SHIELD’s files. I’d like to keep it that way. I figure it’s a good place to lay low.” He hugged Laura to his side again, kissing the top of her head, silently apologizing for bringing all this to their doorstep. She leaned into his shoulder.

“Oh honey. I missed you.” Clint smiled and kissed her lips again. 

Sam was now sitting cross-legged on the floor with the girl in his lap and the boy kneeling beside him, holding a toy in his hands, explaining something in such rapt attention that Natasha was able to stand and get a hug in with Laura, pulling her away from her husband for a moment. Natasha leaned in, touching the very round, very pregnant stomach. 

“How’s little Natasha?” She asked looking up from beneath her lashes at Laura, silently observing things her best friend’s wife would not voice. Laura made a face and shrugged.

“She’s…um, Nathanial.” Natasha gasped and leaned closer, her head very near the unborn child. 

“Traitor,” she said with a grunt and a smile. Sam winked at her from where he sat. 

Lila, Clint’s daughter, leapt off Sam’s lap to grab one of her dolls, which was on the couch near where the rest of them still stood. She glanced down and saw where Thor had stepped on some of her brother’s legos and had apparently kicked them aside, under the edge of the couch. She looked up at him in fascination. He gazed down at her, his mind drifting back to the hallucination that Wanda had brought on. Taking a deep breath, he turned suddenly and left the house. Steve followed him.

“Thor!” Thor stopped at the bottom of the steps, startling Cas, who had been patiently standing there, hearing and seeing nothing. Thor turned to where Steve stood in the doorway. 

“I saw something in that dream. I need answers.” He looked around the farm and then at Cas. “I won’t find them here.” He offered his hand to the angel. “Come, we’ll seek more information and return when we can be of more help.” Cas stepped in close with a nod and with a twirl of his hammer, Thor was carrying them both into the air. Steve sighed and turned to go back inside. He heard Peggy’s voice from his own vision inside his head and it worried him. He could never go home.

“Thor and Castiel went to find more information,” he informed the others once he returned inside. Dean, Bruce, and Tony had gone over to formally greet Ms. Barton and apologize again for intruding, but she had waved them off. 

“I know it’s not much, but you all look like you could use some freshening up,” Laura offered, “And I’m sure Clint would love to help me upgrade dinner to appropriate proportions.” She gave Clint a teasing look. It was Dean who stepped up.

“No, please, Mrs. Barton-,” he started.

“Laura,” she interrupted. Dean smiled widely.

“Laura. Let me help. Clint’s had a tough day.” He gave the archer a pointed look.

“You don’t have to-,” Laura started, but Sam interrupted her.

“Dean’s really handy in the kitchen, Laura.” The taller man lifted himself off the floor, still holding onto Lila now that she had her doll. Cooper, the boy, was watching his dad intently, hoping for some one-on-one time but not wanting to be a bother. Sam was working to make that happen. “And if you don’t let him help, he’ll just try to find something to fix and then it’s sadness for everyone.” Dean glared at Sam, who smirked. Laura laughed.

“Fine, if Sam says to let you help, you’re probably the best person for that.” She turned and gestured for him to follow her. Dean shook his head once again at his brother before following her through the doorway.

Clint gave Sam a look of deep gratitude and dropped into one of the soft chairs, inviting Cooper to come and sit beside him. The boy’s face lit up and he dove into the chair, leaning against his father’s side. 

“If you guys want to freshen up, there’s spare rooms and a few bathrooms upstairs.” He pointed up the stairs as he put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “All the bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, except the kids have a Jack and Jill style shared bathroom. You’re free to use any of the rooms except theirs and mine and Laura’s.” Sam sat down in one of the bigger chairs across from him after handing off Lila to sit in her dad’s lap. 

“Clint, I’m sorry it all came down like this.” The tall hunter ran a hand through his long hair, glancing at the others who were walking around, looking at the kids’ artwork, as well as other things that caught their eye in the living room. Clint shrugged, hugging his kids to him.

“Figured it had to happen one day,” the archer replied. Tony perched on the edge of the coffee table while Steve leaned on the fireplace mantle. Bruce was the one who looked like he was about to fall down, so he headed up the stairs without another word, Natasha’s arm around his waist to hold him steady. “I’m just glad we got all the warding up when we did.”

Tony looked around in interest, questions in his eyes.

“So, you two did all the hocus pocus to hide this place like this?” He waggled his fingers. Clint laughed and nodded his chin towards Sam.

“Nah, I just following Sam’s instructions.” Sam ducked his head, blushing. Steve laughed quietly, knowing that the tall man was extremely talented in warding and spells, but didn’t think those kinds of things about himself and didn’t like to be called out on it. “I did a lot of the heavy lifting and manufacturing of the iron sigils, but the bulk came from him.”

“I understand why you didn’t want anyone to know about this place,” Steve said quietly, “And them.” He smiled at the kids. “But were you worried one of us would give away your secret?” 

“Didn’t trust us, eh?” Tony asked, half serious. Clint remained silent for a moment, contemplating the question. It was Sam who answered.

“It’s never about trust.” All eyes turned to him. “It’s easier to protect the ones you love if you can keep them as far away from the danger as possible. Then, when you have to actively involve them, you have to trust that the ones you’ve allowed in don’t bring the danger too.” Tony narrowed his gaze between both the hunter and the archer but said nothing in reply. Steve nodded sagely, turning to head upstairs for a shower, Tony following not far behind.

“Thanks,” Clint said as Sam unfolded himself from the chair to head outside. The tall man simply smiled and stepped into the sunshine on the porch, leaving the family man to spend time with his kids.

Sam took in a deep breath, looking around. He’d been here a few times before, staring out at the unspoiled farm. When Natasha had broached the subject of helping her best friend with some warding, he’d been more than happy to help. When it turned out Natasha had trusted him and had talked Clint into trusting him enough to reveal the secret family and their hidden farm, he’d been overwhelmed with the warmth and had thrown himself whole-heartedly into the project.

Clint was a superhero, like his father had been. He hadn’t always seen or understood that when he was younger, but he knew now what Dean had always known, that their father had been a true hero, who gave up everything he had to save people. It may have been an obsession in the beginning, but his boys grew up learning the things he knew and doing the things he did. He had gone from seeking revenge, to saving people, other families from the torment they had suffered. He had died protecting his boys.

Clint was a hero and risked his own life every day to protect people, to protect the world. He’d suffered badly in his younger years but had found love and happiness with Laura, and later with Cooper and Lila. And soon with little Nathaniel. What he did to protect them, kept them from the life that Sam and Dean had grown up in. He had a chance to have a real family and they had mostly normal lives because of that extraordinary protection. If John had had that kind of help in the beginning, he had no doubt that he and Dean would be very different people. But all of Heaven and Hell had plans for the Winchester boys, well before they were even born, so it wasn’t meant to be.

But for Clint and his family, Sam intended to do what he could to add to the protections around the family. Laura was so sweet and caring. She was selfless and loving. Cooper was really smart and studious, preferring peace and quiet like his mom. And Lila was sweet and caring like her mom but had energy to spare like her dad. It was a nice blend with Nathaniel being the future wild card. 

Dean had his wayward kids that he seemed to take under his wing, like Ben, Claire, and Krissy. Others, like Charlie and Kevin had not survived, but Dean did his best as a parental figure and he had no doubt that now that he knew about Cooper and Lila, they would now have the older hunter as a strong protector as well.

Sam smiled to himself that even if he never had a nuclear family like Clint and Laura, he had his brother, Cas, and the Avengers. Others had come and gone and it wasn’t set in stone that his current family would remain the same, but for now, it was enough.

He was startled from his reverie by the slam of the screen door. He barely turned his head, glimpsing his brother and the cup of coffee he was holding out to his brother. Sam took it with a smile, turning back to his view of the farmland. Dean obviously had something to say and he’d say it when he was ready. Honestly, Sam was surprised it didn’t take him longer.

“A superhero’s secret family, Sammy,” Dean said, sighing after a sip of his own cup of coffee. 

“Yep.” The coffee was good and soothing as it went down. 

“Our lives have gone from C-rated horror movies to Revelations to comic books.” Dean scoffed a laugh.

“Yep.”

“What’s next? Off network cheesy girl drama?” Sam turned a look to his brother, who shook his head and turned to head back in. Sam followed him.

*****

By the time the food was ready, all the rooms had been arranged for sleeping. Laura and Clint in their room, with Lila and Cooper in with them on camping cots. Sam and Nat would share the larger spare room as the bed was a queen. Bruce and Tony would share Cooper’s room for the double bed. Steve would take the smaller spare room. This left Dean in Lila’s bedroom. There was no hot water left by the time Sam and Dean got around to their showers, which they had grown up with, which is why they waited until last. Laura had offered all of them use of Clint’s clothes until she could get theirs all washed, but again, Dean had insisted on helping with the laundry as well. 

Tony had taken to teasing the older hunter as being the mom of the team, but Dean only huffed at the insinuation. He had been mother, father, brother, teacher to little Sammy so taking on the role of being mom to the large group wasn’t outside what he was used to. Sadly, none of the clothes except the sweatpants had fit Sam, even still falling mid calf on the taller man, so they did his clothes first. 

Clint and Laura had had an interesting conversation on their own once the rest were settled downstairs. Laura had teased her husband about being adorable in his naivete about how Bruce and Nat looked at each other. Clint had promised to talk to his best friend about it later, to make sure feelings wouldn’t be hurt as things were serious between Nat and Sam. Laura had commented on how shaken they all seemed and her husband had told her about the teenage punks running around with Ultron. She scoffed when he said that someone needed to teach them some manners.

“And that someone happens to be you?” He smirked at her teasingly. “You know I totally support your Avenging. I couldn’t be prouder, but I see those guys, those ‘gods’ and angels…” She laid a hand protectively on his chest. He covered it with his own.

“You think they don’t need me.” She laid her head against his chest then.

“I think they do. Which is a lot scarier. And now Sam and Dean and Castiel. They’re all a mess.” Clint wrapped his arms around her.

“Yeah. I guess they’re my mess.” He leaned in to take a deep whiff of her hair, closing his eyes. She turned in his arms so they could both look out the window to where Steve and Sam were deep in some discussion.

“You need to be sure that this team is really a team and that they have your back.” Laura leaned completely against the warmth of her husband. The flannel shirt and undershirt felt very different than his Hawkeye suit, letting her run her hands under them, over his skin. “Things are changing for us. In a few months time, you and me are going to be outnumbered. I need…,” she paused, taking a deep breath. He leaned down closer to her face. “Just be sure.” He kissed her on the lips, lingering a moment. 

“Yes, Ma’am.” When she ran her hands over the rebuilt flesh from where he had been injured, she squeezed against him tighter, thinking how close she had come to losing him again. He knew what she was thinking. “Don’t worry. Just like brand new.” 

“I can feel the difference,” she said softly, her mind on more than just the injury. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cooper and Sam have someone in common?


	9. Just My Imagination...Or Is It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sully! And my own original Zanna (my own imaginary friend from when I was little, with some physical tweaks to make her fit my story).

Sam sat straight up in the bed, gasping, sweat beginning to roll off him. Another nightmare – vision? – about the Cage. The voice of the man who had taken on his father’s younger face during his last dream before coming here was still echoing in his mind. 

‘God helps those who help themselves.’ 

Sam gulped and scrubbed his hands over his face. Glancing down, he saw that Nat was looking up at him in concern. He leaned down to kiss her temple, stilling his trembling hands to lay one against the small of her back. 

“Just a nightmare, go back to sleep.” She gazed at him for a little longer before giving a soft yawn and closing her eyes. She was no stranger to nightmares and had held Sam through many of his in the recent past. Most of the time, there was nothing she could do but offer comfort, an anchor for him to ground himself. She felt him slide off the bed and pad out of the room, knowing he was up for the day now, even if the sun wasn’t. The farm was warded and safe so she let herself be pulled back into the soft warmth of the Barton’s spare bed.

Right before bed, Sam had asked Dean to walk the farm perimeter with him so they could talk. He had revealed his continued prayers and the ‘answers’ he was receiving in the form of visions of his time in the Cage. Dean had not been pleased but had listened quietly. When the conversation had turned to the vision of their father who wasn’t their father and what Sam thought it meant, Dean had finally become animated, unable to hold back any longer. 

“So you think God is sending you messages in the form of visions of your time in the Cage?” Sam had shrugged. “Don’t count on God. Okay? Count on us.” 

“What if it is God. What is if he’s showing me something I don’t know what to do with about Lucifer’s Cage?” Dean gave him a thoughtful look. “What if he’s telling me I have to go back?”

Dean had been adamant that there was no way that was happening, that they’d figure out how to stop Ultron and Amara but he was shutting Sam’s idea of visiting the Cage in Hell down right now. Sam wasn’t so sure and while he’d capitulated for the moment, it was still very much in the front of his mind. 

The tall man padded quietly downstairs in his bare feet, intending to start the coffeemaker and take his desperate contemplation to the porch so he could watch the sunrise. He did wait until he got into the kitchen to turn on the lights and blinked when they came on brighter than he’d have liked. A deep yawn stretched his entire frame and he turned away from the now percolating pot with half-lidded eyes. And jumped nearly a foot in the air to see Cooper sitting at the breakfast nook table in his pajamas and a glass of milk.

“Cooper?” He said once he’d realized who it was. The boy looked up shyly and smiled, his eyes flickering to his left. Sam’s eyes drifted in that direction in confusion, tilting his head, when suddenly, in the chair next to the boy was a supernatural creature that he’d never seen before. It looked similar to a Japanese tengu but more human than that. It was definitely a woman, elderly, with narrow, rectangular pince nez glasses sitting on a frankly, beaklike nose. The woman’s mouth was also pointed as though beaklike and her eyes were very dark brown, no white showing, like a crow. Which helped Sam complete the thought that she was covered in black feathers, even under the dark brown, tweed business like dress suit she was wearing. And she was sitting right next to Cooper.

He reacted swiftly, running forward and pulling Cooper away from the table, away from the crow woman-thing, pulling him behind him and cursing himself for not having his weapons stashed nearby. He thought about grabbing a knife from the blade magnet over the counter to protect the boy, but as they were undoubtedly only stainless steel, it wouldn’t do much to a supernatural being. 

“Who are you?” He growled as he kept himself between the boy and the being. The crow woman’s head tilted in question and Sam registered that Cooper was trying to get his attention. He risked a glance back at Cooper. “Are you okay?”

“Sam, don’t,” the boy was pleading quietly. Sam was confused but turned his attention back to the intruder, who had yet to make a move from her seat. “That’s Mary Cawthrine. She’s my friend.” At this, the woman raised her head, seemingly in pride and appeared to smile warmly at the boy, leaning her body so she could better see the boy. Sam relaxed a tiny bit.

“Who? What?” Sam lowered his fist from defensive stance but kept his hands at the ready. When Cooper pulled away and ran to her, climbing into her lap where she hugged him warmly, Sam had to admit he was completely confused. 

“Hello Sam,” the woman said as she snuggled Cooper. Her voice had just a hint of a crow’s caw behind it. Her dark eyes sparkled. “I’m pleased to meet you. Cooper has told me so much about you.” There was another moment of utter confusion before another voice came from behind him.

“Surprise!” And Sam whirled and punched the man who had appeared at his back. Grabbing the yellow and white striped shirt with his off hand, and holding his other ready for another punch, Sam took in the shorter, pudgy man. The neat, brownish hair, the rainbow suspenders, the bright blue pants. The open, innocent face tugged at a faint memory but he didn’t let up.

Sam looked around to where ‘Mary Cawthrine’ and Cooper still sat, Cooper tensed up but the woman holding him gently, an admonishment in her eyes for Sam. As his gaze returned to the man he held in place, he noticed the counters were now filled with candy and cookies and marshmallows. Nachos with melted marshmallows. He blinked, looking hard at the being.

“Who are you?” Sam growled, a little louder. The being didn’t look distressed. He only smiled like Sam was being silly. 

“It’s me, Sam! It’s Sully?” Sam blinked again.

“What?” The being called ‘Sully’ rolled his eyes with a smile.

“You remember me, right? I made all your favorite snacks. We’re friends. Like best friends.” Sully waved his arms around and Sam looked around again, his hazel eyes lighting on the nachos with melted marshmallows. “You remember?” And there was a brief flash of memory, full of warmth and laughter. It was so out of place in his horrible past that it felt false. 

“Sully.” The being nodded brightly. “No. You’re not real.”

“Well, how’d you punch me then?” Sam tilted his head a little, taking this in. 

At that moment, Dean, Tony, and Clint came jogging into the kitchen. They had heard Sam growl from downstairs and once Clint had realized his son wasn’t in his room, they took off, telling the rest to stay with Laura and Lila. Since the farm was warded ten ways to Sunday none of them grabbed weapons, understanding that perhaps Sam was just caught in a walking nightmare, not that none of them had seen that between the bunker and the tower. They spotted Cooper sitting in the chair at the end of the breakfast table and then caught sight of Sam, standing in only too-short sleeping pants, in a defensive stance, holding onto empty air, one hand up in a clenched fist. Clint darted to take up a defensive posture near his son, but all three men raised their eyebrows in question at the tall hunter. 

Sam’s eyes tracked that the archer was seemingly oblivious to the crow woman holding his son or perhaps he knew her and had not thought twice about her being there. Also, all of them looked at him but none of them looked to the end of his arm where the pudgy man hung, other than for their eyes to slide over the area without focusing on the colorful being. He remembered the time he’d been alone and had imagined a colorful friend to talk to. This couldn’t be the same being as Sully had only been imaginary. 

“This can’t be happening.” Sam shook his head, registering that Dean had one hand up in a placating manner and had taken a step closer. After the whole Lucifer hallucinations, he always worried Sam’s sanity was only a few steps from that cliff they always walked. 

“Dude,” Dean said slowly, with concern. “Who you talking to?” Sam blinked and turned his head to look at the colorful man at the end of his arm. He shook the being, but he was now questioning his own sanity if none of them could see him either. After Lucifer and the most recent visions, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that he’d really cracked. 

“Him?” All three of them narrowed their eyes now and looked around, seeing no one. Sam flinched when the crow woman tittered a little laugh and the other being shushed her. Tony stuck his hands into his waistband. It was a nervous habit he’d picked up to keep himself from gesturing too broadly and scaring the obviously twitching Sam.

“Are you having a stroke? Do you smell toast?” Sam threw the billionaire a classic bitchface, then relaxed just a little bit. Maybe it was all in his head. The man shook his head.

“They can’t see us unless we want them to.” Sam glared at him, then released the man, but remained in a defensive posture. Once Sam appeared to relax, they looked around, finally catching sight of all the sweets and unhealthy foods crowding all the surfaces. Dean was the first to speak up.

“What is all of this crap? When did you start eating this stuff?” Clint was confused as he looked around at all the confections.

“I didn’t even know we had this kind of stuff here.” Dean spied the marshmallow nachos and his head tilted as a memory tugged at him.

“Is that marshmallows on nachos?” By now, Tony had eased up closer and was spying all the junk food, wondering why it was all there because, like Dean, he knew Sam was the most health-conscious person in the room and would never eat this stuff, especially in this abundance. 

“Yeah,” Sam shrugged, running a hand through his hair, still looking between the man and the junk food. “This wasn’t me.” He wasn’t sure if any of them would believe him because Cooper surely wouldn’t make up all these sweets so it had to be Sam. Maybe he was really cracked and had done it but couldn’t remember it. 

No sooner had he had the thought than he saw the man shimmer and felt the shift in the room as all eyes snapped to him as though they could suddenly see him. Tony took a step back. Clint leapt over the table to put himself between his son and the man, which caused the crow woman to coo and snuggle Cooper closer. Dean took a step closer, bringing his hands up in a defensive posture.

“It was me. And those are delicious.” Sam stood up to his full height in surprise. 

“Wait, you can see him?” All three men nodded without taking their eyes from him. 

“Uh, huh,” Dean said, eyes wide. Sam ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. Weirder things had happened. It was time to diffuse the situation. 

“Um, this is…,” he started, shaking himself to get himself to focus. “I think this is…Sully, my friend from when I was a kid.” Clint and Tony gave disbelieving snorts but Dean’s face looked like he’d swallowed an entire lemon. He dropped the defensive stance before looking up and down Sully, fully taking him in and wondering if he was also going crazy. 

“You mean Mork from Ork here is your dumbass imaginary friend Sully?” Sam looked flabbergasted himself and could only nod.

“Yeah.” The man in the colorful outfit gave a huff and turned to face Dean fully.

“Um, I’m not dumb or ass.” This caused Tony to go off into gales of laughter. Clint heard Cooper giggle behind him. 

“I’m going to get my gun,” Dean huffed as he started to turn around. Sully took a step towards him cautiously.

“No, please. Someone killed my friend.” All eyes were back on him and Clint glanced around to all of them before going back to Sully.

“You mean your imaginary imaginary friend?” Sully crossed his arms over his chest and glared at each man, except Sam. 

“First off,” he huffed, “’imaginary friend’ is more a descriptive term.” Sam’s eyes went wide. “How you just said it? That was a little…offensive, just to be honest.” Sam shrugged slightly, giving away that he didn’t disagree. “Secondly, we’re Zanna.” 

“We?” Tony asked quickly, holding up a finger. Sam’s eyes flickered to behind Clint and they all spun around as Mary Cawthrine suddenly shimmered and apparently became visible as well. Clint moved so quickly that Cooper had been snatched and carried by the parkouring parent to behind Dean and Tony, who had finally summoned his Iron Man glove, before the crow woman had time to squawk. 

She gave an indignant huff but casted concerned eyes towards where Cooper was being hidden behind the superheroes. Again, it was up to Sam to diffuse the situation. He took a step, half covering the crow woman, who had shown only love, no aggression, towards the boy. 

“Stop! This is Mary Cawthrine. She’s Cooper’s imagi-Zanna, I think.” Clint’s eyebrows shot up as he looked down at his son who was hiding his face in embarrassment in his father’s tshirt. 

“Coop?” He released his death grip and had to force himself not to snatch him back as his son got to his feet and went back to climb into the crow woman’s lap again. 

“She’s my friend, Dad.” The woman tittered happily and snuggled the boy to her. Cooper looked up at his dad from under his bangs and Dean got a flashback of a younger Sam being uncertain and nervous giving him and dad the same look. Clint rose to his feet and came over closer, looking her over. She reached up with one hand to offer to shake.

“My name is Mary Cawthrine,” she said in her birdlike voice, smiling at him over her pince nez glasses. Her voice had a slight foreign quality to it, an accent none of them could place. “Cooper is a wonderful boy and has told me only good things about you, Mr. Barton.” Clint blinked, looking over at Sam who gave a half smile and at Dean who shrugged, before taking her hand.

“Uh, nice to meet you. I’m afraid I know nothing about you.” Sully took this moment to establish relations.

“Mary and I are Zanna, like our friend. We’re the good guys. Sam, tell them.” Sully turned his earnest face towards the taller man, who sputtered and leaned back against the counter.

“Yeah, okay, um. You know what? I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole you being real thing.” Sully ducked his head and backed up a step or two. 

“Aww!” The sound was half sad, half understanding. “Yeah, no. No, of course. No, that’s okay.” Sam lifted a hand towards him but Sully waved him off. “That’s okay. I understand. This is all really unexpected.” Tony scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s one word for it.” Sully shrugged self-consciously and gave the tall hunter a pleading look. 

“Just…I need your help.” He shot a meaningful glance at Mary and Cooper. “You help people, right? That’s what you do?” 

Mary nodded and stood, taking Cooper’s hand and started leading him away. Clint was instantly on his feet and reaching for his son. Mary sighed and released the boy’s hand.

“Dad-,” Cooper nearly whined. Clint looked at the crow woman, then back at Sully and Sam. Sam’s face was concerned but he looked at Dean to understand. 

“Yeah, we help people. You are not that.” That’s when Sam actually whined like he did when he had been Cooper’s age.

“Dean, come on.” There was a bitchface thrown into that that warned Dean that he was being rude. Dean sputtered, waving his arms.

“Come on?? Are you kiddi…Look…This…motherfu…,” he turned at a grunt from Clint, remembering that Cooper was still in the hearing vicinity. He huffed, then pointed at Sully, then at Mary Cawthrine. “You two, stay here in the kitchen.” He pointed at Clint and gestured up the stairs. “Clint, take Cooper upstairs and let everyone know things are kosher and we’ll fill you in once we know more.” He then wiggled his finger at Sam as he turned to walk out of the kitchen area to the far end of the living room. “You and Tony, come with. Right now.” Clint nodded without hesitation, escorting his son back upstairs. When Sam hesitated, still staring at Sully in wonder, Dean growled. “Come on.”

Mary Cawthrine passed them as she headed back towards the dining room table, where she once again sat, rather primly, hands folded on the table, watching them all over the top of her glasses. Sully paced nervously, wringing his hands and biting his bottom lip.

As soon as Sam had joined Tony and Dean, the older brother whirled on Sam.

“You’re not actually buying this crap, are you?” Sam sighed, dropping to sit on the couch arm directly behind him.

“Dean, when I was nine years old, Cooper’s age now, do you know what I wanted more than anything?” Both the men stared down at him waiting for his answer. “Marshmallow nachos.” Dean’s mouth tilted up at the corner while Tony’s eyebrows went up again in surprise.

“Yeah, you were a weird-ass kid.” Dean expected a bitchface but was shocked when Sam only glanced over to take in Sully again.

“Yeah, well, the only person I ever told about it…,” his voice trailed off. The lightbulb went off in Dean’s head.

“Sully.” Sam turned a soft smile up to his older brother.

“Yes, Sully.” 

Tony had spent a lot of time of the past year or so with the Winchester brothers and their friends, so he’d thought he’d been prepared to learn that not only had Sam had an imaginary friend (what super-smart, lonely boy didn’t), but that it had been a supernatural creature (and seriously, Sam hadn’t been without supernatural influence since his infancy), and that Sam still had such trust in this creature that he was now pleading for his brother to hear the being out. He knew his own life would never be boring, even before becoming Iron Man, but since meeting the brothers, it was one long roller coaster ride. So deep into his own revelations was he that he barely caught when Dean leaned down and whispered quietly to Sam.

“I don’t know man. Maybe this is one of your visions.” Sam did give him a bitchface them and leaned away to glare at Dean.

“Yeah, except we’re all seeing it. And it doesn’t involve the Cage or Lucifer, or me having to go to the Cage to talk to Lucifer.” Dean’s brows furrowed in thought but Tony rocked backwards. He held up a hand to stop them.

“Whoa! Back up. Visions? Going to the Cage to talk to Lucifer??” He saw both Sam and Dean glance at him guiltily before Sam reached over and grab the Stark Pad he’d left on the coffee table and begin digging for information. Dean looked back at Sam with sadness and anger, then turned back to Tony. 

“Sam’s been having visions since Amara was reborn.” The green-eyed hunter shrugged, gaze flickering over to the two Zanna, then down to what Sam was looking up. “Thinks they’re messages from God telling him to answer to getting rid of her means he has to go to the Cage and talk to Lucifer because the freaking ‘Father of Evil’ has some intel.” He glanced back at Tony with a snarl on his face and flinched seeing the horror on the shorter man’s face. “We’ll fill you in later once we’ve dealt with whatever these things are.” Sam reached up to tug on Dean’s shirt hem, a gesture reminiscent of when they were kids and he’d wanted his attention.

“Look.” He began to read from the tablet in his hand. “In Romanian lore, Zanna are creatures who guide and protect lost children. Zanna intentionally appear as figments of a child’s imagination, allowing the child to move on with confidence once guidance is no longer necessary. Huh.” He lifted his head, eyes focusing on nothing as he connected the dots internally. “Maybe Sully’s telling the truth.” Tony turned his head to get a look at the screen, seeing some depictions of Zanna that had been drawn by the author. Clearly, this was a scanned page of a book rather than an online website, with the page still in a foreign language, presumably Romanian. Sam must have been scanning the books with an OCD reader so the page would appear as a scan but the content was still searchable. Or maybe he’d simply added search terms himself when he scanned them in.

“That archive in the bunker?” Tony muttered, still reeling from the news of Sam’s visions. Sam’s eyes cleared enough to glance at him then back at the tablet.

“Yeah, since some languages have words that translate differently based on context, I figured it’d be easier to scan them in so I can search then re-read based on context later. Harder to misinterpret that way.” Tony was impressed.

“More knowledge at your fingertips, less loss through telephone game translations.” He smiled when Sam’s face lit up with a smile and slight blush.

“Exactly.” 

“Okay,” Dean said softly, breaking up the brainiac duo’s appreciation session, although he was also impressed. “Say Bozo is legit. Right? Which, you know – hello crazytown – but okay. How is this our problem? Don’t we have bigger issues at the moment?” Tony shrugged in agreement. Sam ran a hand through his hair and sighed. 

“Because someone is dead.” Dean raised a finger to stop him.

“No, some THING is dead. A fairy godmother getting capped? That ain’t our beat. We’ve got a murderous robot and the Darkness working together to destroy life itself.”

“Yes, I know that, Dean, but-,” Sam tried.

“But what, Sam?” Dean sounded frustrated now. 

“But as messed up and insane as this sounds…Sully helped me.” And that was the clincher. Sully had helped his little brother in some way that was significant and Dean was beyond grateful. And now, apparently, another Zanna was helping Cooper. They’d get to get bottom of that later, or at least help Clint get to the bottom of that because what could be so bad in the boy’s life that he needed one.

When Dean deflated and hung his head, Sam knew he’d won. He stood, gripping both of Dean’s shoulders, not quite a hug, before turning to go back over to where the Zanna were. Tony leaned in closer to the older brother.

“We will definitely be talking about these visions later.” Dean nodded without raising his head. “Because I’m with you on keeping him as far away from Hell and Lucifer as possible. I didn’t even know you guys then, but I can’t imagine it’s anything but something once again taking aim at him.” Dean did lift his head, but kept his eyes on where Sam was leaning over to give a hug to the colorful man. He couldn’t hear Sam’s quiet apology to him, but he knew Sam’s guilty face.

“Yeah. Not on my watch.”


	10. Working with the Zanna, pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While in a holding pattern with Amara and Ultron, the Winchesters work with Sully to stop a murder and the Avengers recuperate on Clint's farm.

Within the next half hour, everyone was up and dressed, with Dean and Steve preparing breakfast. It appeared Steve was really handy with making pancakes. Laura was cautious around the Zanna but Lila was absolutely enraptured with both Sully and Mary Cawthrine. Clint and Laura exchanged a few hushed words concerning why their son would need a Zanna’s help, deciding that Cooper would have to explain that a little later, as the current crisis was taking most if not all of their attention, which they had to concede, was probably a bit part of the reason. Either way, as Sam trusted Sully and by extension, the crow woman, implicitly, they were inclined to not argue their concerns right now.

Dean continued to cast glances around the room as they cooked, always landing on Sam last. His not so little brother seemed nearly embarrassed that all of his super friends now knew that he’d had, and apparently still had, an imaginary friend. Bruce was fascinated and questioned them both about their existence and biology. Steve remained silent, watching it all unfold. He was still unnerved by his own vision of Peggy that Wanda had forced onto him, but after hearing Dean mutter under his breath for the past few minutes about little brothers and trusting stuff no one else could see, he was determined to not let his own perturbance get in the way of them solving the issues as they came their way.

Natasha had taken one look at both of the Zanna and had fled the house, offering to walk the perimeter for breaks. She hadn’t displayed any real emotion that anyone besides Clint could detect, and seeing her become pensive and dealing with his own family problems, he let her be for the moment.

It was Tony who leaned back against the wall, arms crossed across his chest, that stayed unnaturally silent. He watched them all interacting in small groups, coming together, breaking apart into their individual parts, then forming new patterns. As usual, the entire dance centered on Sam. He sat still in the center, he and Sully. The others moved around him, coming over to ask questions or lay food on the table. They moved away to other tasks but continued to move with Sam as their sun. While the tall hunter was oblivious to all around him except Sully, the others’ eyes all drifted to him and over him again and again. It still made him wonder how the fate of the world, the universe, seemed to hinge on this young man, again and again. 

Finally, once Natasha had quietly rejoined them, giving a short nod to Tony before sliding into the chair next to Sam, everyone drifted to the dining area to eat. Sam had turned his head, kissing the top of her head, wrapping one arm around her waist as she leaned into him, causing Sully to make a very childlike squeal of delight. Which, in turn, made Sam blush. 

The eating area was not quiet but talk turned to more innocuous discussions in light of the presence of the kids and Laura. It wasn’t until Laura and the kids insisted on doing clean up that the rest of them moved outside for the more serious talk.

“So,” Dean started once they were all settled on the benches and areas around the small social area Clint had put in last spring. “What do you think we can do, Sully? I mean, you know we’re in the middle of a universe-ending crisis, right?” Sully shrugged and nodded.

“Yeah, we all know, all of us supernatural creatures.” That made all other discussions stop and focus on him. “But children shouldn’t suffer and poor Maddie is traumatized!” Seeing that everyone was confused, he elaborated. “She is…was Sparkle’s assigned child. Such a sweetie. And honestly, it’s horrific. If you could see.” He shook his head. 

“You know,” Sam started slowly, “We are stuck in a holding pattern until we figure out either Amara’s or Ultron’s next move. We could at least look into it, right Dean?” His hazel eyes turned hopefully up to his brother’s green ones and smiled apologetically, getting the famous Dean eye roll and thrown up hands. 

“Fine, dude.” Sully threw his arms around Sam and hugged him tightly. “Give us an hour, then we’ll head out.” He turned to Steve. “You guys call us if you get any new info and we’ll do the same.” Steve immediately looked around to the rest of the Avengers who were present. They all shrugged. 

“Yes, definitely. Let us know what you turn up.” 

And with that, Sam and Dean headed back inside. Natasha was going to use the jet to bring them to their car and they would go from there to the investigation. Clint headed inside to talk with Cooper and Bruce wanted to talk more with the crow Zanna. That left Steve and Tony in the yard, looking around for something they could do to repay the Barton’s for allowing them to stay.

As the jet lifted off, Tony watched it disappear on the horizon, then turned to watch Steve chop wood to add to the winter wood pile.

“Thor didn’t say where he was going for answers?” Steve continued to swing the axe, bringing it down, nearly shattering the wood with the force. 

“Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things.” He said, glancing at the house meaningfully as Clint and Cooper stepped onto the front porch, heading towards an opening in the railing with a spindle that must have been a replacement. Then the glanced at Tony before swinging the axe again. “I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception.” Tony hummed to himself before swinging his own axe, splitting the wood on his stump. 

“Yeah, give him time. We don’t know what the Maximoff kid showed him.” Steve shook his head, but laid down the axe to replace the wood on the stump in front of himself. 

“Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” he muttered sadly. “Pulled us apart like cotton candy.” Tony risked a longer look at the super soldier, his brow drawn in concern.

“Seems like you walked away all right.” Steve tensed and stopped to stare at the billionaire. He took a deep breath, frowning.

“Is that a problem?” He had no need to intimidate Tony but the comment had rankled him. 

“I don’t trust a guy without a dark side.” He smirked darkly. “Call me old-fashioned.” The shorter man slammed his axe down again. Steve gave a wry huff.

“Well, let’s just say you haven’t seen it yet.” Tony laid down his axe to get another piece of wood. He felt the sweat dripping down his chest and back, soaking the black t-shirt he’d borrowed from Clint, but it made him feel freer. His mind could work faster when his hands were busy. 

“You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?” He bent, breathing a little harder than he’d thought he would. “Throw Amara into it with the Winchesters and they’re doing their damnedest to keep us from being a cohesive group.” He walked closer to Steve so they wouldn’t have to raise their voices as Clint and Cooper were still on the porch, Clint now relaxing in a rocking chair, his eyes roaming, keeping a watch, even as Cooper used his skills to finish putting in the spindle on his own. 

“Well, I guess you’d know.” Steve couldn’t help the little dig about Tony’s Ultron project. “Whether you tell us is a bit of a question. And Sam and Dean and Cas seem to be more forthcoming with each other.” Tony grunted in anger.

“Banner and I were doing research,” he growled lowly, stepping closer. Even as the axe swung, he trusted that Steve wouldn’t bury it in his body. Clint’s eyes were watching them closely, but he wasn’t interfering. 

“That would affect the team.” He put down the axe, hefting a large block of wood to put on the stump.

“That would end the team,” Tony growled faster. “Isn’t that the mission? Isn’t that the ‘why’ we fight? So we can end the fight, so we get to go home?” With that last question, Steve grunted before shredding the large block of wood with his bare hands. He glared at Tony, not noticing that Clint had a hand on Cooper’s shoulder as they both stared at them quietly. 

“Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.” He leveled a finger on Tony’s chest. “Or haven’t you been listening to Sam and Dean and their stories about how they tried to stop each apocalypse before it started and ended up sometimes doing more harm than they intended?” Tony flinched backwards, his eyes going wide.

Just then, Laura, who had somehow slipped quietly up to the two men, spoke up hesitantly, one hand protectively over her baby belly. 

“I’m sorry,” she starts. “Mr. Stark, uh, Clint said you wouldn’t mind, but our tractor, it doesn’t seem to want to start at all.” She looked between them, watching their glaring match as it faded to focus on her. “I thought maybe you might…uh…” Tony glanced at her, then back to Steve.

“Yeah,” he replied with a forced smile. Laura was perfect for Clint. Beautiful, smart, knew exactly when the step in and how to diffuse a situation. “I’ll give her a kick.” As he turned to leave, the turned to point at the wood, then at Steve. “Don’t take from my pile.” It was a subtle message to Cap that he was planning to do an equal amount of work and didn’t expect anyone to do his work for him.

*****

Tony discovered more about Clint’s sneaky wife and his respect for her went even higher once Fury revealed himself inside the barn. The old tractor had only been a lure to get him alone with Fury. After SHIELD had been dismantled, Fury had gone underground, hiding from Hydra and those that wanted to finish him off. It seemed to Tony that more people were hiding things from him and while he was irritated, he felt better that he and the others were now being brought up to speed. Fury had talked candidly to him about what was currently going on and how the Maximoff girl’s vision had affected him. Honestly, Tony didn’t feel better about the vision but he did feel better about their chances now that the one-eyed man had redirected his thoughts and helped him focus again.

In another part of the world, Thor and Cas were meeting with Dr. Eric Selvig, to get guidance on Thor’s vision and perhaps help Cas gain perspective. Thor’s vision of the celebration that had been on the wrong side of happiness weighed heavily and he needed more information before he could even consider his next steps. He knew he needed this solved in his mind before he could further help Cas or his teammates. 

Sam and Dean went with Sully to little Maddie’s house, dressed as child counselors. Dean, ever the sarcastic wit, had commented that they would “Bert and Ernie this mess.” Sam had rolled his eyes, following the Zanna to the house. Maddie’s mother fell for their pretext and brought them inside, hoping to help her daughter, as she could not see the Zanna, or the horrific mess Sparkle’s corpse had left in the little girl’s room. Even Dean had been moved (and nauseated) when Sully had shown them the crime scene and how Maddie’s mother had the sparkly blood spread all over herself with her lack of sight.

Sully, of course, had been truly horrified.

“It’s on her face!” The colorful man’s mouth was drawn down in a deep frown and his lower lip quivered. “Sam, it’s on her face!” 

Maddie’s mom had kept talking about how to help her daughter but Sam was distracted by Sully’s continuous muttering in his horror.

“She’s got Sparkle on her face! Somebody’s got to say something.” Finally Sam had stepped in, suggesting the family accommodate the girl’s fears for now and put her in another room, while Dean had barely held back his own nausea and suggested a thorough cleaning for all of them, as well as the room. When the older hunter had begun to spiral and spout nonsense, Sully’s attention had been diverted, a needed distraction, while Sam had skillfully maneuvered them out of the room with some final guidance for the family.

As they headed back into the open, fresh air outside, Sam had called Natasha, who was waiting with the jet in stealth mode a town over. He’d updated her and got an update from her about anything new the Avengers had learned, but there was nothing new just yet on that end. It was hauntingly quiet, unnerving them all. 

“Why didn’t you ever tell me your imaginary friend was real, Sam?” Dean asked as soon as they got back into the Impala. He was leaning back, taking some deep breaths before starting her up. Sully had disappeared to check in with his home office to see if there was any further information on that end. Sam didn’t look at his brother, but played with the hem of his sweater instead. 

“Well, Dean. I didn’t think he WAS as the time. You saw the lore books too. I mean, maybe when I was nine years old I thought he was real, but I grew up.” He glanced at his older brother, keeping his head down, but looking up through his bangs. “Or grew out of it. Whatever. I left it behind.” Dean had his entire focus on his overgrown baby brother and frowned in thought 

“And what did you need Drop Dead Fred for in the first place?” Sam sighed, then dropped his eyes to his hands in his lap. 

“I was kind of a lonely kid, Dean.” The shorter man glared at Sam for a moment, his green eyes sparking as he stared at Sam, remembering when his little brother really was little.

“You weren’t lonely. You had me!” This had Sam huffing sadly. 

“When you got old enough to hunt with dad,” he began with a soft voice, “I was left alone a lot.” Dean huffed this time and angrily cranked the car.

“Well, before that, I was left alone a lot too.” Sam quirked a small smile as he shook his head.

“Alone with me,” he muttered. Dean’s eyes shot back over to his brother and his eyebrows shot up. Thinking back, he remembered that even when he was lonely, little Sammy had been there for him to focus on. His little brother, so pudgy and adorable, had needed him to take care of him. While he had wanted his dad’s attention, and maybe to have more friends his own age, he really hadn’t really been alone. 

He remembered phone calls to Sam while on the road with their dad and how whiny his little brother had been. At the time, he’d been happy to have the freedom of traveling with John and was glad Sam wasn’t there with his whining. Sam had begged Dean to talk dad into letting him come too and Dean, just to quiet the whining, had promised he’d work on their dad to let Sam come along too. The kid had hated hunting but had been killer at research, so John had been more than willing to leave Sam behind, safe behind salt lines, to do research for them while they did the manual labor. He’d never considered how differently they’d viewed their time of separation.

Blinking at this revelation, knowing Sam was avoiding looking at him, he pulled out and took them back to their hotel room. 

*****

In Seoul, Dr. Cho returned to her lab to find Ultron waiting for her. His threats to kill her entire staff was all that kept her from screaming in terror. While she was brilliant and worked with the Stark Foundation, she did not consider herself brave in any capacity, except in forwarding concepts into action. When she realized that the thing was there for the cradle, she argued that it could not build him the body he wanted. And he had argued that he knew she could with the right resources and motivation. The last thing she expected was to see Loki’s staff in his hand and gasped when he used it to control her mind.

Ultron merely smiled to himself and caressed the cradle, his plans coming together. Amara, now a teenager, had laughed when he had told her his plans but had applauded his innovation. The metal man did not understand how she grew as she did, only that it was from her consuming souls from the humans. He scoffed, not caring about souls or the humans. He only saw his own evolution and how that would lead to the next evolution of mankind. Amara only smiled at him indulgently and patted his arm as she returned to her pursuit of Dean Winchester. 


	11. Sam and Sully Make Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean stop a murderer and Sully reconnects with his kids.

Before they could return to the hotel room, Sully popped into the backseat. While it wasn’t as startling as when Cas used to do it, Dean still tensed when he realized the Zanna was there. Sully was distraught. 

“Nicky didn’t check in last night. This can’t be happening!” He was wringing his hands, his eyes darting everywhere, as though the murderer was just outside the car. Dean growled at him.

“You gazoos can talk to each other?” Sam scowled at his brother as Sully replied. 

“Us Zanna share a telepathic link. We need to go check on Nicky!” And so they diverted to the house where Nicky’s assigned child lived, where they found her murdered in the little girl’s swimming pool. 

“A frickin’ mermaid?” Dean had asked loudly. First, Sparkle the manicorn. Now, Nicky the mermaid. Sully looked human enough and it made sense that Sam, being the child of a monster hunter, would never have trusted the Zanna if he’d looked anything other than human. Even Mary Cawthrine, the crow woman, had raised eyebrows. He’d noticed Sully was nearly beside himself, barely keeping back tears. Sully sucked his bottom lip into his teeth to chew on as he twisted his hands and danced from foot to food. “All right, just let it out.” 

Sully had taken in several deep breaths, pulling himself together. 

“No, no. I gotta stay strong for Sam.” He’d patted Sam’s forearm comfortingly, trying to smile for the taller man. Dean couldn’t help looking between his brother and the short, pudgy man. 

“Who would want to hurt, uh, Nicky?” Sully concentrated, looking concerned and nervous.

“Oh, well, um. I mean, her boyfriend’s a little clingy.” He shrugged at Dean’s flabbergasted gaze. “But he’s one of my best friends.” When both hunters gave him a questioning look, he made a face at them. “Guys, Weems would never hurt her. I mean, he loved her too much.” 

“Well, too much ain’t always good,” Dean said, throwing his hands up. “So, let’s go talk to the mermaid’s boyfriend. Because, apparently, imaginary friends have boyfriends now.” When Dean turned to leave, Sully suddenly gasped.

“Wait! We can’t just leave her here. It’s disturbing for the kid.” Dean stopped and looked around.

“All right. What do you wanna do? Find and giant toilet and flush it?” At this, both Sam and Sully turned appalled faces to glare at him. He put up his hands to placate them. “You’re right. I was…what would you like us to do?” Sully looked around, then pointed to the side of the house.

“I think I saw some shovels back there.” The green-eyed hunter nodded, gesturing for Sully to proceed, and he gave a slight smile as the Zanna went to get them. He turned his smile onto his brother. 

“So, Totoro really cares for you, huh?” Sam looked up at Dean, then followed Sully with his eyes glazing over as he remembered the fun he used to have with him. He reflected on the ‘Did you ever?’ word game he used to play with the Zanna.

*****

After Nicky had been buried, they headed across town to where Weems’ assigned child lived. They found the clotheslines outside filled with freshly washed sheets and blood on the ground. Following the blood trail, they found a wounded man in the garage. He looked very human, but so hillbilly, so much like Ash that Dean and Sam felt a wave of nostalgia. Sully immediately went to check on his friend, while Sam and Dean looked around for his attacker. 

Turned out that Weems claimed his fat saved him from dying, which made Sully laugh in his tears. Once Weems learned that Nicky and Sparkle were dead, his emotions were honest enough that Dean and Sam agreed silently that there was no way he was the killer. The hillbilly Zanna was astonished that Sully had brought in humans like this, but when he gave them the info that the ‘crazy chick’ had stabbed him then sped off in an old VW Bug, it made sense that a human was hunting them so humans would do well to find her. 

“That’s GREAT!” Dean had laughed once they figured it out and his brother and the two Zanna turned to stare at him incredulously.

“No, it’s gross,” Sully said with a disgusted frown. Dean shook his head and waved his hand to stop their train of thought.

“No, I mean. A manicorn, a freaking mermaid? What am I supposed to do with that?” Sam shrugged nervously, glancing over at the other two who simply stared in confusion. “But a chick in a car? That’s terra firma. I’m home.” When the two supernatural creatures finally understood and gave a small smile and nod, he turned to Sam.

“I got this. You cover these two.” He waved a hand towards the others, then turned to walk head back out, to track this Zanna murdering woman. Before he was completely out the door, he turned with a question. “I gotta ask. Hey, uh, acid wash. What’s so special about you?” Weems glanced at Sully and then gave Dean a shrug.

“Mermaids dig me?” Dean shook his head. 

“Nah, man. I mean, why do KIDS like you?” At that both Weems and Sully laughed. 

“Oh, I play air guitar.” He nodded without any pretext of being humble. One of Dean’s eyebrows went up in skepticism and he glared at the Zanna.

“You ‘play air guitar’?” He used his fingers for air quotes and Sam held back at a laugh at the subconscious copying of Cas’ signature move. “Sam plays air guitar. I can play air guitar.” He scoffed, until Weems sat up on his knees and pulled up his arms into air guitar position. 

When, however, the guitar riff ripped through the room as the creature rocked out to the invisible instrument, both of Dean’s eyebrows went up in new respect. He finished and then groaned, grabbing his bleeding side. Sully immediately pushed him back and shushed him.

“It’s okay. Good solo, good solo.” Weems thanked him and groaned again. Dean turned to leave, muttering under his breath so that only Sam heard him. 

“Well, he’s no Clapton.” Sam watched him go and Sully followed him out, turning his head to let Sam know where he was going.

“I’m gonna go get some bandages. Okay? I’ll be right back, Sam.” And with that, Sam was alone with the wounded Zanna. 

“Wait,” Weems suddenly whipped towards to tall man who was sitting on a low bench. “You’re not…THAT Sam? Sully’s Sam?” Sam furrowed his brow and shrugged.

“I guess I would be. Yeah.” Weems tilted his head to look closer at him.

“So, now, you and Sully are, like, back together?” Sam blinked in confusion.

“What?” Weems’ head moved closer as he leaned in to get a better look of the hunter. 

“How old are you?” Once Sam realized what exactly Weems was asking, he put up a hand and stared.

“Uh Wrong.” Weems just leaned back again and gave a soft smile.

“Look, I get it, we all need a tune-up from time to time. It’s okay.” Sam shook his head and looked around, looking for Sully to return. 

“No. He, uh, came to ME. I’m helping HIM out.” Now the Zanna just gave him a closer look and shook his own head. 

“Sam Winchester. I mean... Wow. Hey, just so you know – Sully? You broke his heart, man.” Sam blinked and then looked down at his feet as he thought back to the last time he had seen his imaginary friend. 

They had been playing the word game, with Sam revealing that he wanted to run away and be normal, get away from his family and not be a hunter, when the phone had rung. It had been Dean letting him know their dad had finally agreed and giving him instructions on when and where to meet them. Sam had jumped up in excitement and packed his bag. 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Sully had asked hesitantly, instantly concerned for the boy. Sam had only shrugged a shoulder self-consciously and kept packing, barely hesitating. 

“I’m a Winchester. I hunt monsters. Why would I want anything else?” Sam had steadfastly kept from looking up at the now quiet spoken man. When his friend had commented that he wasn’t sure it was really who Sam was, he’d been confused and frustrated and turned to yell at him. “Why can’t you be happy for me, Sully?” 

Sully had tried again to convince him to not go down a path that might not be right for him and little Sam had raised his chin, declaring his lack of fear.

“I know you’re not. You’re one of the bravest kids I know!” Sully had smiled down, proud to know the young man. “It’s just... this whole hunting thing, you know, it’s not the only way. There are so many other ways. And you can find one, Sam. You can leave, right now.” Sam, however, had secretly only ever wanted to not be alone and now that Dean and his dad wanted him with them, he wasn’t going to pass it up. Look, Sam, I’m just saying this ’cause I’m your friend.”

This last had been what had cut into Sam’s shame and he’d acted out instead. 

“Pretend friend! You’re not even real,” he’d snarled, making Sully rock back. Sully had blinked and did what he could to mend the friendship in the only way he thought he could. 

“Well, I’m – I’m here, as long as you need me.” It was soft, said with a gentle smile, an offering. But Sam was already riled up and upset with himself. Dean had already laughed at him when he’d told him about his imaginary friend. Having his own imagination argue against him rankled him to his soul. He squared his shoulders and turned to glare at the man with the silly suspenders. 

“I don’t need you anymore, Sully. I don’t even know why I made you up in the first place. I wish I could UNMAKE you up.” This was said with a viciousness he wished he could take back, but when Sully took a step back from him, hands moving as though he wanted to touch Sam but held back, he tried to remain stoic. 

“If – if that’s what you want.” Sully’s voice was so quiet and sad, and the boy knew something big was coming out of the next moment or two. 

“It is, okay? Just go.” Sam grabbed his bag, pulled open the motel room door and stared at Sully. 

“You have a good, long life, Sam.” Said his friend with tenderness and then he bit his lip, gave a little waved and vanished. Sam stared at where the Zanna was no longer visible to him. He hung his head, eyes shining with unshed tears. He sighed, holding the tears back, and stepped out into the next step into manhood. 

*****

Sully had come back no longer after with a first aid kit and patched Weems up. Sam sat and watched it all with shame in his heart for how he’d treated his friend. He knew he’d been a kid and not knowing Sully was a real person had played a part, but he still felt ashamed. By the time the other Zanna had left to check on his kid, Sam had a new respect for how caring and wonderful his former imaginary friend was. 

“You know, it’s... pretty awesome. How you help everyone around you.” He looked up with a smile, keeping his hands in his jacket pockets. Sully only shrugged and sat down on a machine part not far from the tall hunter. 

“Doesn’t always work out, but... I try.”

“Sully,” Sam started, faltering as he stared down at his feet. “... I feel awful. About how we left off. I’m sorry. I was a kid. I was a – a jerk kid. And – and you were trying to help, and...” Sully raised a hand to stop him.

“That’s all on me. I mean, goodbyes are part of the job, and ours was...” He cringed. Sam cringed with him.

“Pretty bad,” Sam scoffed. Sully looked up and they both laughed a little, the tension easing. 

“Yeah, it was really bad. You know, I’m not gonna lie to ya – when you went off to hunt, I considered that one of my biggest failures. It just seemed so clear to me that you wanted something else. But – I was wrong. And it all worked out, didn’t it?” He tilted his head at the hunter in front of him who had looked up at him with a crinkle to his nose. 

“I don’t know about that.” Sam wondered if Sully knew anything that Sam had been up to since they split all those years ago. Would the Zanna be disgusted? Angry? Or maybe not care at all?

“Come on,” Sully said with awe. “You’re a hero. Sam, you saved the world. A few times, it seems. I keep track of my kids. And you did really good, Sam.” Sam looked up at him and shrugged. 

“Well... Not all good. There was some bad. And some really bad. Sully – I screwed up. I let something out into the world that was...” Here, he stopped to take a deep inhale to settle himself. 

“You mean the Darkness? That’s what the others are calling it, I’ve just heard rumors.” He looked very concerned and then Sam suddenly began talking quickly, trying to placate and apologize at the same time. Sully was surprised. 

“I’m gonna fix it. I am. Dean and I, we’re – we’re gonna fix it. We’re working with the Avengers, but they’ve got their own problem with this murder bot that the Darkness helped bring to life and it’s a huge mess. We’re all working together and we’ll fix it. I promise. It’s just...” He looked away again, then back at the Zanna. When Sully quietly prompted him to find out why he was hesitating, Sam swallowed thickly before replying. “I think God wants to help us fix it. But I don’t think I can do what he’s asking.” Sully sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the depth of Sam’s distress.

“How bad is it?” It was a moment of silence before the hunter could continue. But he figured if he couldn’t tell his once best friend, even knowing that his brother knew, who else would understand. 

“There’s this Cage in hell, and it’s where they keep Lucifer. And I’ve been in it,” Sam swallowed again, then shuddered before he could continue, “and it’s... And I think God wants me to go back.” By the end, his voice had faded out with his fear, barely being able to voice the terror he felt. Sully regarded him for a moment, watching the trembling man in front of him. Finally, he leaned forward, directly into Sam’s eyes. 

“Do you ever think... about running away anymore?” There was a small smile on the corners of his mouth as he waited. Sam returned the level gaze before answering. 

“I did. Um, I mean, I have. But not in a while. Not anymore.” Sully’s face smoothed out as he gave a full smile, just as Sam’s phone buzzed with a message from Dean that he had found the woman and the address where they were. The last line of the text was to come and to bring Sully with him. Sam smiled secretly to himself then looked up conspiratorially at Sully, easy, like it used to be between them. 

“Did you ever think... about hot-wiring a minivan?” Sully rolled his eyes and smiled broadly. 

“In my dreams.” Sam laughed and stood up.

“Let’s do it.”

*****

When Sam and Sully arrived, they were surprised to find Dean tied to a chair with a strange woman holding a dagger against his throat. It was a rare individual that could get the drop on Dean, so Sam wasn’t going to underestimate her. Sam pointed his gun at her, but it was Sully’s recognition of her that paused his killing shot. 

‘Reese’, the Zanna murderer who now held his brother’s life in her hands, had also been one of Sully’s kids. She had been a twin, sharing Sully with her. It was an accident where Sully wasn’t watching closely enough, where his attention had slipped, preventing him from stopping her sister from running into traffic after him as they played a game of chasee, that had caused the twin’s death. Sully had already been upset from Sam’s rejection and Sully’s self-perceived failure as a good Zanna that had caused him to believe he was only bringing pain to the kids, so he’d left her there, alone and hurting. 

“That’s why I never went back in the field, that’s why I never found another kid. I was too scared I’d hurt’em.” He tried to explain to Sam. Reese, however, growled and pointed the dagger at the Zanna in anger. 

“Do you know how bad you messed me up? ‘Audrey’s dead because of the invisible man.’ Try telling that to about ten different kiddie shrinks! I always wondered if Sully was real, so I got obsessed with folklore. I studied abroad in Romania, and then I found out he’s a Zanna.” Sam had put his gun away, hoping to talk her out of her revenge, out of hurting anyone else. 

“Yes, and Zanna are good,” he nodded to her, but she shook her head at him as though he were stupid.

“That’s what the witch tried to tell me, too. She sold me a spell, so that I’d be able to see these freaks. She gave me this, too,” she said glancing down at the dagger in her hand. “Finally, I can save other kids from these monsters.” Sully was beyond distraught at this knowledge that he’d damaged her so badly. 

“So, you killed my friends just to get to me?” His voice hitched with tears behind it. 

“And I would have done it sooner if these two hadn’t shown up,” she snarled. 

“Why didn’t you call? I would’ve come,” Sully tried to placate her. 

“Honestly,” she smirked, “I kinda liked watching you suffer. You weren’t just Audrey’s best friend – you were mine, too. And after she died, Sully, I... I never needed you more.” Sully wrung his hands as quiet tears fell down his face. 

“I panicked when Audrey died. And I left you to deal with the pain, ’cause I couldn’t handle being the one that caused it.”

“So maybe I’ll take something YOU love, Sully – a REAL person,” Reese ground out, pointing the dagger towards Sam. 

“Will killing me make you feel better?” Sully stood at his full height, ready to offer himself rather than let Sam or Dean pay for his mistakes. When Sam tried to step between them, Sully stopped him. “This is what I do. Whatever’s best for the kid. Reesy – if this is what you need, I’m okay with it.” Reese was crying now, teeth gritted as she shook the dagger at Sully.

“I’m still mad. I can’t stop it. I’m just still so MAD!” 

Dean watched this all quietly. He saw the self-deprecating, self-sacrificing Zanna for what he was and realized how perfectly matched he had been for his little brother. Being on the other side of it, he understood her and felt he needed to speak up. 

“Reese,” he said slowly, having wiggled out of the ropes and standing up with his hands up. “Trust me. Revenge? Ain’t gonna make you feel better. Listen, I’ve seen more than my share of monsters. And I mean REAL monsters, bad. These guys? These are Sesame Street mother Teresas. But when I wasn’t there for my little brother, Sully was. Now, look, I’m not saying that he didn’t make a mistake, but you know that there is not a monstrous bone in his body.” He looked over at his brother, who was near tears himself and then over at Sully, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of Reese. 

“I’m so, SO sorry.” As Sully said this, Reese dropped the dagger and ran forward to embrace him. Sam put his gun away as Dean grabbed the dagger and stowed it away in his jacket. 

With that crisis averted, Sam and Dean stood leaning against the Impala while Sully said his ‘see you laters’ to Reese. The Zanna came over to them as she left and looked nervously at the brothers, before turning fully to Sam. J

“Well, now that you know about Audrey, you probably never wanna see me again.” Sam smiled slowly. 

“Did you ever think... maybe you’re a hero to me?” Sully scoffed and returned the smile. “One thing I’ve learned – heroes aren’t perfect.” The Zanna nodded.

“Mm. Sometimes they’re scared. But that just means the thing that they’re facing, it’s super important. And nobody else is gonna go for it, because nobody else has got the balls.” Sam snorted before gave him a serious smile of gratitude. Dean took a deep breath. 

“You, um, you’ll look in on Reese?” Sully raised one hand and put the other over his heart. 

“Don’t worry, I will be checking in. And Dean, thank you for looking out for Sam. You are not a germ at all.” Dean was confused for a moment. 

“Thanks? You know, you’re not gonna get me to admit that you’re not the weirdest thing out there, but... you’re a good weird.” Sully laughed, along with Sam. “Listen, Sam told me you guys know about the Darkness and I guess Ultron too.” When Sully nodded solemnly, he continued. “We could always use some more heroes to help out if you’re up to it.” When Sully paused, Dean held up a hand. “In strictly a non-combat kind of way. I’ve got the feeling we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Sully looked between the brothers, then laid a hand on both of their arms. 

“The Zanna are so grateful for everything you’ve both done for the world. We’ll be happy to help if you have a use for our skills. Since Mary Cawthrine will remain to watch over Cooper for a while longer, just let her know when you need us and she’ll get a message to me.” The brothers looked relieved and smiled at each other. Sully reached out and half hugged Sam. “Good luck, buddy.” And then he vanished.

They called it a win and a good step towards stopping Ultron and Amara and headed to meet Natasha for the ride back to the farm, where, they learned, Fury had appeared, so they were all needed for a strategy session. 

Natasha had pecked Sam on the lips once they were onboard and smiled throughout the retelling of their adventure of the day. No, their lives never failed to entertain and impress the Red Room assassin. They made good time back to the farm and Natasha went ahead per Sam’s request. Dean, sensing his brother needed to talk, hung back with him. 

“Dean, we need to seriously discuss me going to the Cage.” They had stopped at the fence line and were leaning against the posts, watching as the stars appeared one after another, lighting up the night without the typical light pollution of a city. The green-eyed man shook his head. 

“Okay. Not happening. Good talk. – Sam, even if these visions are real...” Dean started to walk away but Sam grabbed his elbow. 

“Yeah. It’s Lucifer? And me? In the Cage? I know. But this – this lump in my throat... It’s not an excuse. Not anymore.” He was trembling just at the thought but with everything going on, he couldn’t let his fear stop him from doing whatever he could to stop Amara and Ultron. His brother looked at him, then leaned shoulder to shoulder with him, lending the taller man his warmth and strength.

“We’ll find another way. Okay? There’s always another way.” Sam sighed and looked up at the heavens. It took a moment before he could reply. 

“Okay. Then tell me – what is the other way?” When Dean didn’t have a response, Sam nodded sadly to himself and continued on into the farmhouse. Dean felt an anger and unease he hadn’t felt in a while. There was no way he was allowing Sam to throw himself at Lucifer’s mercy again, but he didn’t know what they could do to prevent it if nothing else worked with how things were progressing with the evil alliance. He watched Sam’s hunched shoulders walk away and disappear into the warm light of the farmhouse, leaving him to stand in the dark yard, alone and unsettled. A sigh, a surreptitious swipe at his eyes, and he finally heaved himself forward to follow his brother into the warm embrace of the superhero family they’d been amazingly invited into. 


	12. Let's Get Fury-ous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick Fury, the Avengers, and the Winchesters outline what they know and where they go from here.

Once again wrapped in the warm embrace of the feel of family in the Barton homestead, Sam smiled easier and shook hands with former Director Nick Fury. This was not their first direct face-to-face with the man with the eye patch since meeting the Avengers in New York, but while he knew he could trust the dark man as an ally, he knew there was a strength there like his father and could be fearsome when needed. By the time Dean had followed and also shaken hands, everyone was more relaxed and the evening meal went smoothly. 

“So, Imaginary Friends?” Nick asked the brothers, as he swirled his spoon through the homemade mashed potatoes. “Tony tells me you say this is the first time you’ve worked with them…” It was an obvious open-ended question, such as skilled interrogators used. Dean smirked and shook his head, while Sam shifted in his seat, before putting down his spoon.

“Zanna,” the taller hunter said. He cleared his throat, glancing around, then met Fury’s eye. “They’re Romanian. Creatures who help guide lost children.” When eyebrows went up around the table, he huffed softly and shrugged. “There’s different interpretations for the word ‘lost’. It can mean actually lost like location or just struggling and…lonely.” He ducked his head, glancing at his brother from beneath his long hair as he picked up his spoon again. “Apparently, Sully was assigned to me as a kid and I guess I grew out of needing him, as all kids do eventually.” Clint and Laura exchanged a glance, then looked at Cooper, who also ducked his head.

“So, is it a coincidence that Cooper has a Zanna assigned to him?” Steve asked gently once the silence around the table went too long. Dean started to make a joke and sat back to scoff, but Sam cut him off.

“Honestly, I don’t think it was deliberate on the Zanna’s end, but nothing in our lives has ever been that simple.” Sam shrugged and smiled at the boy, who returned the smile shyly. “From what I’ve heard, and Clint brags about him all the time, Coop is really smart and reads a lot.”

“Like you did when you were little,” Dean muttered, leaning back to watch his brother thoughtfully. Sam blinked at him.

“Yeah, and with being smart, and having secrets he can’t share, it’s kind of isolated him.” Laura reached over to take Clint’s hand in support. Sam noticed, immediately holding up a hand to stop them before they got started. “No, I’m not saying you guys did anything wrong. And it’s actually probably a good thing that a good being, like a Zanna, befriended Cooper rather than something no so friendly.” He saw Clint relax a smidge and everyone else around the table pointedly looked down at their plates. “But the kid of a superhero having a supernatural friend like a Zanna? I’d say it’s a good thing.”

“Will Lila need one too?” This quiet voice was Laura. Her hand was protectively covering her stomach, but her eyes went from both her children to stare at Sam, to gauge his response.

“Maybe. I…I don’t know. If neither you nor Clint had one, maybe something was different. Lila seems more outgoing and outspoken.”

“Gregarious,” Cooper’s voice piped up from his spot across the table from Sam. The tall man smiled at him and nodded.

“Definitely, gregarious,” Sam replied. “All I know is that they knew what we do and came to us for help. We helped them and they’ve offered to help us if they can. And we will take all the help we can get, right?”

Steve nodded, laying his cloth napkin on the table next to his plate. 

“We’re dealing with two somethings that have so far been more than we can handle,” he said, looking from face to face around the table. “As long as you vouch for these Zanna, then we’ll take the help they can give.” 

With that, dinner appeared to be over. Dean and Steve gathered the dishes, carrying them to the kitchen, while Bruce and Clint cleaned up the table. Tony challenged Sam to darts while Laura and Natasha brought out supplies and games for the kids. Nick stood, leaning against the wall, watching them all work together so smoothly. He’d have never imagined when he’d had the original idea for the Avengers Initiative that they not only form such a well-oiled team, but they’d bring in hunters of the supernatural who would become part of the cohesive whole. The conversations drifted into safer territory, like checking warding, how Clint had so many clothes that he could outfit most of them while they hid out here at their farm, and why Sam was so much taller than Dean.

Another thirty minutes to an hour later and the kids had been shooed off to bed with Laura following them after a busy day. Clint had plunked himself on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs to taps his heels rhythmically against the cabinet door. Tony was still casually tossing darts at the dartboard, while Dean and Steve were making sure everyone had fresh coffee. Now that everything was quiet here, the serious conversations could begin. Nick, playing with the tag for his teabag that hung from the lip of his cup, sighed before beginning. 

“Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time.” Sam glanced up from where he sat next to Natasha at the dining room table, his arm draped over her shoulders as he kissed the top of her head. “My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing. And with this Amara in the mix, it’s anyone’s guess at this point.”

“What about Ultron himself?” Steve asked, then added when he caught Dean’s eye. “And Amara?” Nick dunked his teabag as he paced the room slowly.

“Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though.” He shrugged half-heartedly. Tony tossed another dart just to have something to do with his hands. 

“He still going after launch codes?” This made Sam and Dean tense. Even Natasha turned towards Tony with curiosity.

“Yes,” Fury responded, giving the man behind Iron Man an inscrutable look. “He is. But he’s not making any headway.” Noticing that everyone was now looking at him, Tony stood straighter.

“I cracked the Pentagon’s firewall in high school on a dare.” Dean chuckled, muttering under his breath, but Sam caught the quiet ‘Charlie’.

“Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that.” Now Fury was sipping his tea, eying Tony over the lip of his cup.

Steve, arms crossed over his chest, quirked his eyebrow. He’d learned a lot about modern things since his return a few years ago, but he knew there were some things he’d always be out of the loop on. 

“NEXUS?” He asked, looking around. Dean shrugged at him, also in the dark. Bruce pushed himself off the far wall from where he had been leaning, behind Sam and Nat, his fingers plucking at his bottom lip in thought.

“It’s the world internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth.” 

“Tony!” All eyes flew to the green-eyed hunter. “Could you build us some of those programmable female sex dolls and let us blue tooth them there at the NEXUS? Imagine the possibilities.” His gaze grew hazy as his thoughts drifted away. Steve and Bruce both blushed. Nick and scowled, opening his mouth to reprimand the man, but Sam got to it first.

“Dude, you’re confusing porn with reality again.” His face was half disgust, half fondness. Natasha and Tony were smirking as Clint rolled his eyes. 

“So, anyway. What’d they say?” It wasn’t until Dean bit his lower lip and made a soft moan that they all tore their eyes from him to look at Nick again. 

“He’s fixated,” Nick said, glancing oddly at the shorter hunter, “on the missiles. We’re not sure what part this Amara being plays with the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed.” It was Tony’s turn to be surprised.

“By whom?” Just as he asked that, three darts sailed past his head, all landing in the bullseye of the dartboard. It was spare inches between Tony’s face and the darts’ landing point. Several heads whipped around to a smirking Clint. Fury shook his head at the antics. Seriously, they could work together so smoothly when they needed to, but were like a room full of children otherwise.

“Parties unknown.” Natasha, all business, leaned forward, leaving Sam’s arm draped over the back of the chair. He didn’t move to touch her or pull her back as he was used to her serious mode by now. 

“Do we have an ally? Could it be a Zanna?” It was Dean who scoffed.

“I don’t think those guys are that tech savvy, do you, Sam?” Sam shook his head, brow furrowed. “I mean, if we still had Ash or Frank or Charlie…” His voice dropped off as he turned hurriedly to get some coffee, ducking his head. Sam sighed softly, feeling the ache that he knew his brother was feeling. So many friends and allies lost just by being associated with them. No one asked for any information. Ash had been in the Supernatural books and Frank and Charlie had been previously discussed by the Winchesters as part of the whole ‘getting to know you’ phase.

“At least Ultron’s got an enemy,” Nick sighed, bringing the discussion back around, watching Dean turn back around, once again collected. “Maybe supernatural, maybe not. But an enemy for them is not the same as an ally for us. Still, I’d pay folding money to know who or what it is.” Tony glanced between the brothers.

“I might need to visit Oslo, find our ‘unknown’. One of you guys want to ride along?” Dean immediately raised his hand. 

“Dude, I’m so there.” Sam huffed a small laugh.

“Dean, it’s going to be Tony on a computer and no sex dolls. No porn.” Natasha hid a laugh and a smile behind her hand as Tony chuckled. Dean looked flummoxed for a moment, then recovered.

“No, I’m cool with that. But if it’s one of our things that’s doing this, one of us needs to be there to give Tones a hand.” Sam’s look went from amusement to understanding and he nodded at his brother.

“Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you again, you’d have more than that.” Nick tilted his head at his agent. 

“I do.” All eyes were back on him. “I have all of you.” There were confused and embarrassed faces all around. “Back in the day, I had eyes and ears everywhere, even in the hunting community. Now, here we all are. Back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So we stand. Outwit both the Darkness that threatens the world and the platinum bastard she’s helping.” Natasha smirked mischievously.

“Steve doesn’t like that kind of talk.” Dean guffawed, remembering what they had shared about their battle at the Hydra base, but Steve gave her a jokingly threating look. 

“You know what Romanoff?” When the shorter hunter opened his mouth, undoubtedly to make some crude comment, Nick held up a hand, knowing it would only further derail their discussion.

“So what do they want?” The room fell silent, before Steve looked up and spoke his thoughts.

“Ultron wants to become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies.” Tony came around the half wall, moving his hands as he entered the conversation. 

“Person bodies. The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we’re outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it. Why not a werewolf or other body type?” Bruce was leaning over the table next to Nat, looking down at a watercolor painting of a butterfly that Lila had made for her aunt before bedtime. She had made a doggy one for Sam. 

“When you two programmed him to protect the ‘human race’,” she used quote fingers, reminding Sam and Dean of Cas during that phase of him learning to be more human. “You amazingly failed.” Bruce was deep in thought as he reached down to slide the picture closer to himself. 

“Contrary to the hunter’s code,” he said, giving a faint smile to the hunters in the room, “Humans don’t need to be protected.” When the brothers both gave him confused looks, he pointed at the picture. “They need to evolve. They have been since the beginning, but it’s not enough. Ultron’s going to evolve.” 

“How?” Nick asked, not quite following the scientist. When Bruce looked up from the picture and looked around at the combined group of people in the room, there was a new urgency. 

“Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?” Every person in the room tensed, then jumped into action. 

Within a few moments, Tony was on a call with Cho’s facility in Korea, Sam was online, looking for disturbances, and the rest of them were huddled, talking strategy as they waited for information. 

*****

On the other side of the world, Dr. Cho, under Ultron’s mind control via Loki’s staff, was standing next to the cradle, which was powered up and in the midst of creating a new body, using the stolen Vibranium. Her eyes glowed the same eerie blue that Clint’s had during his controlled time, but Ultron only had eyes for the body in the machine. A teenaged Amara stood off to the side, appearing bored.

“It’s beautiful,” Dr. Cho murmured in awe. “The Vibranium atoms aren’t just compatible with the tissue cells; they’re binding them. And SHIELD never even thought…” 

“The most versatile substance on the planet,” Ultron replied with distain. Amara stepped closer, trying to see what the robotic man was seeing that was so fascinating that she wasn’t seeing. “And they used it to make a Frisbee.” That confused her. 

“Typical of humans,” She muttered, huffing as she paced away. She eyed Dr. Cho with interest, then smirked to herself as Ultron continued.

“They scratch the surface and never think to look within.” 

The robotic man pulled the glowing stone from Loki’s staff, tossing the golden scepter into a corner as unimportant. Holding the blue gem in the palm of his hand, he smiled up at Amara before crushing the stone in his fist. When he opened his hand, the blue stone had been shattered, leaving only gray dust and a glowing, yellow stone in its place. It floated just above the surface of his hand. Amara came closer, tilting her head to stare into the yellow stone, a cold smile creeping up her lips. The Darkness chuckled to herself as Ultron placed it into the forehead of the body being constructed before him. 

*****

Back at Barton’s farm, everything was bustling. While the Avengers were gathering gear and saying their goodbyes, Sam and Dean stayed in the yard, out of their way. 

“Dean,” Sam started, realizing their window to talk was getting much smaller. “I think this is how it has to be.” 

“No, it doesn’t.” Dean raised a hand and stalked away from Sam as his brother began to protest. “Because it’s crazy, okay! And it’s not going to happen. How many times do I have to say that this is a horrible idea?” His brother followed him, not crowding him. 

“About as many as I have to say, ‘okay then what else have we got?’ Listen, I’m all ears. Dean, ordinarily I’d agree with you, but the visions only happen when I reach out to God. I asked him for a way to beat the Darkness and the visions got more specific – and I was in the Cage.” Dean stopped, whirling to face the tall man he had taken care of most of his life. 

“Yeah, with Lucifer. The biggest monster ever hatched. Fan-freaking-tastic!” He tried to keep his voice down because not only did they not want interference from their friends yet, but there were kids inside.

“You know Lucifer was the biggest monster ever hatched, until you and I hatched one that’s even worse.” When Dean turned to walk away again, he grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Listen, in the vision, Lucifer touches me and I feel calm, like things will be all right. And that’s not something I would ever come up with. I mean that is the last thing that I would ever feel.”

“If Lucifer touched you, it would be the last thing you think. Ever.” Dean ran a hand through his hair before stalking away a few steps, then back. They had walked far enough from the house that anyone coming outside would see them but wouldn’t hear them at this volume. “Why would God even ask this of you?” When Sam didn’t have answer, but he realized he wasn’t going to change Sam’s mind like this. “You know what man? Maybe there is something to it all, maybe, and maybe there’s not.”

“Dean, doesn’t it make sense?” Sam was practically begging his brother now. “I mean, Lucifer would know how God ended the Darkness. He was there.” Dean shook his head then leaned against the tree where he had ended up. “Would Cas know? Crowley?” Dean threw up his hands in frustration.

“I don’t know, man,” he nearly whined. “Cas is off with Thor and we don’t know where they went. And he’s nearly powered down right now. Not sure he can help with more since he already told us what he knew about Amara.” When Sam dropped to lean back on the same tree, shoulder touching his brother, Dean sighed deeply. “I mean, Crowley could possibly give us some info.”

“You go with Tony.” Dean looked over at Sam’s quiet, earnest face. “I’m not sure what I could do in a battle against Amara or Ultron. If Thor had left his hammer, but he didn’t, so I can research. I can talk to Crowley, get more information and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

“Sam. Sammy. I don’t like this.”

“I know. I don’t either, but we don’t have a choice right now. The Avengers have experience with things like Ultron but with Amara, that’s my fault and my mess to fix.” Dean bumped his shoulder.

“Our mess.” When he caught a sad, tired smile from Sam, he sighed, turning to face the taller man. “Look, fine. Crowley knows I’ll kick his ass if he messes with you and since Amara already told him he’s just another bug in her way, he shouldn’t give you too much trouble. But-!” And here he held up a finger and prodded it into Sam’s chest. “You do NOT do anything else until I’m with you. You got me?”

“I understand.” 

“I mean it, Sam.” Dean stood straight and stared Sam down. “Nothing. You capiche?” Sam stood too and nodded.

“I capiche,” Sam replied. Dean nodded, then pulled his brother into a strong hug. 

“Okay, let’s go see what they decided and fill them in on what we’re doing.” He clapped his brother on the shoulder and they turned to meet the Avengers, all in costume, cleaned and repaired by the wonderful Laura Barton, coming down the path towards them. 

“I’ll take Natasha and Clint to Korea,” Steve was saying, as he hefted his shield onto his back. Tony was still securing his Iron Man mask and handing off a spare to Dean, who looked at it in suspicion. 

“Alright,” Tony was replying to Steve. “Strictly recon. Dean and I’ll hit the NEXUS. We’ll join you as soon as we can. Dean, put on the helmet.”

“Put on the helmet?” Tony pulled the helmet from his hands and dropped it over Dean’s head.

“Yes, the air gets thin and since we’re flying Air Iron Man, you’ll need it to breathe.” Dean and Sam swallowed at the same time, then Sam nodded, watching Dean sling his duffle over his body to better hold onto it. 

“All righty then.” 

“If Ultron is really building a body…,” Steve trailed off, not sure if it needed to be said. But since Tony felt the need to talk, he picked up where his friend left off. 

“Then he’ll be more powerful than any of us.” He looked around at the assembled group, including Clint and Laura at the fringe. “Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot and maybe powered by a super powerful being who is out to destroy the universe.” 

“You know,” Steve smirked darkly. “I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me. And the supernatural were fairy tales.” They were all striding towards where both the jets, the one the Avengers had flown over in, and the one Nick Fury had arrived in, an older version, as they talked. 

“I can drop Banner and Winchester off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?” Tony turned to scoff at Nick once before closing his faceplate. 

“She’s all yours, apparently. What are you gonna do?” Nat and Steve were already on board the jet and turned to watch Clint say goodbye to his wife. Nick shrugged at Iron Man.

“I don’t know,” the dark-skinned man said with a smile towards Sam and Bruce. “Something dramatic, I hope.” When the young hunter and the scientist looked at each other with a smirk, tensions eased a bit. Both men were known for dramatic. Dean gave Sam a final shoulder clap before Iron Man gripped him around his chest and they took off into the air, Dean whooping as they lifted away with speed. Nick boarded his jet with Sam and Bruce right behind and they took off. 

Clint got his final farewell, kissing his wife and promising her that he’d finish the sunroom when he returned. It was his promise to her that he’d always return. When she prodded him that he’d find another project after that, he knew it was her retort that she knew he couldn’t give up the life of a superhero. But he surprised her this time with a smile, telling her it promised it was his last project. When she returned his smile with a surprised gaze, he kissed her again before jogging away to the jet where Nat and Steve waited. He turned as they lifted off, the ramp closing on his final wave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less talking, more action coming soon.


	13. Everyone Has Their Assignments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone splits up and the twins turn on Ultron. Amara is playing the long game and is easily amused.

While Thor chased meaning for his vision with Cas tagging along, and Bruce and Sam were back at the tower going over the equipment in the lab and going over the data that was collected during the initial debacle, Tony and Dean were at the NEXUS. The World Hub techs stood back in awe of the great Mr. Tony Stark. They barely glanced at the friend he’d brought with him, but he was wide-eyed, looking around at all the high-tech equipment. 

“This is freaking awesome,” Dean muttered, wandering closer to where Tony stood at a terminal and rapidly typed in commands. The billionaire didn’t even glance around as he had been here several times before. “Too bad Ash isn’t around anymore. You two would have really gotten along.” 

“Ash?” Tony hummed, glancing once in his direction.

“He, uh, got himself dead getting us info to help stop the apocalypse.” Dean was now leaning on the terminal, glancing at the screen every now and again but keeping vigilant of their surroundings. Tony hummed again, turning back to the terminal. “So, NEXUS, huh?”

“Yep, this is the only place, I think, where we’ll be fast enough to find the hacker that’s keeping ahead of Ultron. He could be anywhere,” he grumbled. “And as this is the center of everything, I’m just a guy looking for a needle in the world’s biggest haystack.” 

“How do you find it, then?” The short, spectacled tech asked, leaning in to watch but staying far enough away that Dean didn’t turn a concerned eye her way. Dean snorted.

“Sammy had that figured out by the time he was three.” Tony laughed, trying to picture a tiny Sam Winchester toddling around with a book cradled in his hands. 

“I bet he did.” He briefly glanced over at the tech with a smirk. “You bring a magnet.” He began to hum playfully and sang along with the nonsense tune. “Oh, I’m decrypting nuclear codes and you don’t want me to.” Dean raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t interrupt. “Come and get me.” With that, he tapped the Enter key, sending the code on its way.

*****

Dr. Cho’s eerily glowing blue eyes sparkled as she watched the cradle painstakingly create and align the materials into a human shape. As the mind stone removed barriers like morals, everything had amazingly come together faster than she had ever imagined. There were so many steps, like testing, that were being skipped, but those things were furthest from her mind. 

Amara had vanished hours ago, not bothering to tell any of them where she was going. 

The Maximoff twins were standing off to the side, watching the cradle as well. Dr. Cho had initiated the uploading of Ultron’s cerebral matrix, and Wanda found herself fascinated, as his previously hidden robot mind was now open to him as it fed into a living matrix. She had read only the drive to finish Ultron’s project in Dr. Cho’s mind, but now she could see what the metal man had planned for the future. When she glimpsed his vision of global annihilation, she gasped, then screamed. 

“How could you?” Pietro tensed, surprised by his sister’s outburst. Ultron also appeared surprised.

“How could I what?” Wanda glared at him in anguish. 

“You said we would destroy the Avengers, make a better world,” she cried, grabbing onto her brother’s arm. Ultron had the audacity to look arrogant. 

“It will be better.”

“When everyone is dead?” Now Pietro was glaring and he braced himself to fight and protect his sister if it came down to that. But Wanda only faced down the metal man, wanting answers. 

“The human race will have every opportunity to improve.” This apparently was not the answer Wanda nor Pietro was looking for. 

“And if they don’t?” Pietro asked. Ultron waved a hand dismissively.

“Ask Noah.” Wanda gasped again, leaning back against her brother’s chest. 

“You’re a madman,” she muttered in shock. Ultron stood, the cables going from his head to the cradle keeping him from moving to far or fast. 

“There are more than a dozen extinction level events before even the dinosaurs got theirs. When the Earth starts to settle, God throws a stone at it, and believe me, he’s winding up.” 

“Oh, God is not preparing to throw a stone at this planet,” came the voice from the doorway, where Amara had appeared. “He’s hiding from me.” She turned her eyes to the Maximoff twins and scanned them curiously. Wanda appeared a little older than Amara, but still Wanda could not read her, only felt the cold darkness that emanated from her. She shrank away further. 

“Ugh!” Ultron groaned, approximating a facepalm. “My analogy was working fine.” Amara only shrugged, walking around the cradle, dragging a hand over the top as she watched the creation of the android body. 

“Besides,” Amara smiled without any emotion reaching her eyes. “Humans are doing a much better job of destroying this Earth themselves.” Ultron stared at her open-mouthed for a moment before turning back to the twins. 

“Humans have to evolve. There’s no room for the weak.” 

“And who decides who is weak?” Pietro asked, as Wanda used the space between them to hide hand movements that would break the mind control on Dr. Cho. Wanda caught the surrounded-by-darkness teenager watching her, but the girl only raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. 

“Life always decides,” Ultron replied with conviction. Suddenly his head whipped around as one of the sentinels that had been placed in the area sent him an alert. “There’s incoming. The Quinjet. We have to move.” Amara sent a final smirk towards Wanda, glancing briefly at Dr. Cho, before turning to face Ultron. 

“Dean Winchester is not on board, so this is not my battle.” With that, she vanished. Ultron shook his head, not understanding this being that had helped create him. 

“Let’s get moving, then,” he growled out, noticing Dr. Cho hitting a switch to turn off the upload. 

“That’s not a problem,” She assured him, the blue faded from her eyes. Ultron roared, pulling the cable from his head, then held up his arm to blast Dr. Cho, hitting her in her midsection, dropping her to the ground. In a flash, Pietro had snatched up his sister and used his super speed to dash from the building, putting as much space as possible between them and the crazy robot. 

Ultron blasted several of the technicians who didn’t run fast enough, then threw up his hands. He began muttering about no one understanding and needing more time as he detached the cradle from the outlying machinery for transport. 

*****

“Crowley,” Sam said quietly as he answered the phone, continuing out the door from the lab where Bruce was still standing, reviewing the data on the screens. He held up his hand and Bruce nodded that he saw him leaving with the phone glued to his ear. 

As soon as the door closed behind Sam, Bruce pulled his glasses off and bit one of the earpieces. It was times like these that he really missed Jarvis, because he could have the AI listen in on Sam’s conversation and alert him if it was something the hunter was doing that was dangerous and should be done alone. Since they’d all become acquainted, it became painfully obvious that Sam preferred to take on burdens on his own and rarely shared his personal demons with anyone except Dean, if only because Dean refused to back down and was hyper-vigilant when it came to his little brother. 

With a deep sigh, Bruce returned to the screens, working on getting the lab up and running again before the others returned. 

“Is it possible?” Sam asked, running his free hand over his head as he walked the hallways. “Can you get me into Hell to meet with Lucifer without letting him out of the Cage?” He heard the King of Hell sigh and just knew he was cutting his eyes through the phone. 

“There may be a way. I can arrange transport for you to Hell so we have a modicum of control. You cannot go into the Cage, although it’s on my bucket list to remove you for good, but now is not the time to be selfish.” Sam rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall. “What does Mummy say? How did you get him to loosen his grip to even have this conversation, much less plan this insane board meeting in Hell?”

“Dean’s busy working with Tony. We figured he needed to stay as far from Amara as possible, since she’s fixated on him and he can’t hurt her.” Sam just knew both of Crowley’s eyebrows shot straight up. 

“Just who is she that the entire world, supernatural and muggles, are terrified of her arrival?” Crowley’s British accent rolled through the phone, slightly incredulous. After his last encounter with her, the only thing that had broken Amara’s hold on Dean had been her threatening Sam and anyone who could control Dean Winchester was indeed terrifying. 

“God’s sister,” Sam mumbled. 

“God’s got relatives?!” The demon choked for a moment. “Well, then we need to get this moving then, eh, Moose?”

“Yeah, dick,” the tall hunter growled at him. “Why do you think I left you all those urgent messages that you’re just now returning?” 

“No need to get testy,” he muttered, “There is one place where the secrets of the Cage, along with the spells for warding, were recorded. The Book of the Damned.” Sam groaned and laid his head back against the wall. 

“Rowena.” 

“Yes,” Crowley scoffed. “Mother.” He paused in thought. “I have her under surveillance. I’ll have them bring her in. I’ll call you back once I have her and the book here. I’m supposing I’m not supposed to mention any of this to big brother?” The demon smirked knowingly to himself. When Sam only huffed and hung up, Crowley gave a light laugh, before turning to call in a minion. 

Sam shuddered, taking several long, gulping breaths. It was one thing to have visions of what he needed to do, but now that it was coming together and he’d actually have to face Lucifer again, it would take all of his control to keep from breaking down completely. One more long breath and a cough to cover how it nearly turned into a sob, and he headed back to the lab to work with Bruce. 

*****

In Korea, Steve had dropped onto the U-Gin Genetic Research Lab roof, leaving Clint and Natasha in the jet. He found Dr. Cho, but she told him not to worry about her because there were medical staff already on the way. She explained the cradle and what Ultron was doing with it. When she told him about the stone he’d taken from Loki’s spear, Steve paled. Knowing how powerful that gem was, combining it with a body built with Vibranium, he’d be virtually unstoppable. 

“You have to get the cradle to Stark,” Dr. Cho told him as she shoved him away to get him going. Steve saw medical personnel heading their way, so he turned and raced back to the roof, passing the info to Clint and Nat via comms. 

Nat immediately jumped on the onboard computer to look for transport that would be leaving and found a private jet taking off across town with no manifest. Before they could head that way, Clint spotted a tractor trailer leaving the lab and spotted the Lab’s logo on the side of it. 

“There,” Clint said, turning the jet towards it. “It’s the truck from the lab. Right above you, Cap. On the loop by the bridge.” He used the jet’s scanners on the trailer and identified the occupants. “It’s them. I’ve got three with the cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver.” His finger over the firing button, he waited, spotting Steve running across the bridge and diving on top of the roof of the trailer.

“Negative!” Was Steve’s urgent voice over the comms. “If that truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron.” He swung down and around, pulling on the handle to open the rear doors, but they were blasted from the inside by Ultron, who was yelling for them to leave him alone. 

With one door blasted completely off and the other hanging by one hinge that was tearing away, Steve leapt into the back of the truck, avoiding other blasts from the robots. Just as he landed on solid feet, one blast caught him in the chest, mostly blocked by his shield, but he still tumbled backwards, only just managing to grab on and haul himself back to the roof, where Ultron flew up to join him in combat. After Steve was blasted nearly off the roof again, Ultron strode forward and snatched up Cap’s shield, tossing it off into traffic with a growl. 

Seeing that Steve definitely needed help, Clint maneuvered the jet over the roadway behind the trailer and opened the ramp, while Natasha readied the motorcycle especially outfitted by Stark for her and Clint’s use. As she revved the engine and dropped down with a slight jolt onto the road, her friend told her to ‘give em hell’, a common phrase of friendship between them. She smirked and darted down to snatch up Cap’s shield as she passed it, weaving in and out of traffic, muttering about picking up after the boys. 

With no shot because of the tractor trailer going under the overpass, he changed tactics to directing Nat to the fastest route to help her catch up. When he gave her a command of a hard right at the last moment, she made the turn easily, darting around civilians as she now sped down alleyways and sidewalks to catch up. Once she was close enough, she tossed Cap’s shield back up to him in time for him to bash Ultron away from him. She dropped back behind the trailer, noting the two robots still inside. 

“Clint,” her voice came over the comms. “Can you draw out the guards?” She could hear his smirk when he replied.

“Let’s find out.” Then he let loose a volley of controlled shots to the sides of the trailer, deliberately aiming away from Steve, Nat, and the cradle. When a few pinged off Ultron, the archer saw him turn a dark glance towards the jet, then the other two robots flew out of the opening and took off into the sky, prepared to bring him down. Back on the truck, Steve tackled Ultron, both of them tumbling from the roof of the trailer onto the roof of a train running parallel. 

The jet was easily outmaneuvering the robots with Clint at the controls, but it was very close several times. He was able to keep them away until they both got withing grabbing distance and they latched onto the outer housing. With a neat spin and climb, they both fell away. 

“I’m going in, Cap. Can you keep him occupied?” Natasha asked as she moved to crouch on the seat of the motorcycle. 

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Steve groaned, tumbling back from another hit. 

Nat smirked and sped up. She finally got the angle she needed and using some acrobatics, she stood up on the motorcycle seat, keeping balanced, making the leap and feeling the cycle fall away into the street. Her feet were barely stable as the two Iron Legion robots flew to opposite sides of the trailer and used their jets to lift up and take it airborne. Clint clocked the movement of Steve and Ultron in the speeding train, but he’d lost track of Natasha. 

“The package is airborne,” he stated, seeing his chance. “I have a clean shot.”

“Negative,” Nat yelled back instantly. He jerked his finger off the firing button. “I am still in the truck.” Clint was shocked.

“What the hell are you…?” She cut him off.

“Just be ready. I’m sending the package to you.” They had worked together for so long that he instantly understood and began maneuvering the jet to line up with the flying trailer. He steeled himself.

“How do you want me to take it?” He had an idea what she intended, but like Dean, used humor in tense situations. When she laughed nervously, he knew right then. 

“Uh, you might wish you hadn’t asked that.” Lining up behind the trailer, he caught sight of her and their eyes met. One wave of her hand and he nodded, turning the jet, reversing thrust so he could fly backwards, the now open ramp facing the open end of the trailer. 

Down on the train, Wanda and Pietro arrived, blocking a blast that would have hit Steve, but it gave Ultron the chance to send a blast through the center of train that destroyed the controls and sent it careening out of control before he flew off to leave with the cradle. Ultron had seen the twins betray him and reject him, so they were no longer safe from his plans. Steve yelled frantically that Ultron was heading their way, causing Clint to become frantic. 

“Nat, we gotta go!” He yelled at her through the comms. Turned as he was, he only caught the cradle falling from the rear of the truck in his peripheral, with Nat clinging to the top of it. Once he felt the jolt that it was aboard, he closed the ramp, then turned, the smile dropping from his face when there was no Natasha there with the cradle. 

“Nat!” He yelled. Neither of them had seen Ultron arrive just in time to grab her ankle and snatch her off the cradle before it entered the jet. The trailer was dropped, the Iron Legionnaires, and Ultron, carrying Natasha, disappeared quickly from view. “Cap, can you see Nat?” Steve had seen Ultron grab her but he knew the fate of the world was mainstage right now. 

“If you have the package, get it Stark!” Steve yelled back at him, willing him to stay on track. 

“Do you have eyes on Nat?” Clint asked again, eyes darting all over, not catching sight of his friend. 

“Go, Hawkeye!” Steve ordered, using his professional name. In the Jet, Clint slammed his hand against the frame in frustration, but did as he was ordered, turning the jet and punching it back towards the tower and Stark. 

Steve turned to the twins and began to issue orders. If they were willing to fight against Ultron, perhaps they would fight with the Avengers to save people. 

“You,” he said, pointing to Pietro, “Civilians in our path.” The platinum blond-haired boy disappeared in a blur, running in front of the train to snatch people from the path to safety on the sidelines. Turning to Wanda, Steve asked her, “Can you stop this thing?” 

She took a deep breath, braced her feet and then gestured towards a hole in the floor of the train. The red mist of her magic flowed down into the tracks, attempting to heat the wheels and the tracks enough to make them meld and slow down, then stop it. It was just beginning to work when the train jumped off the end of the tracks, but the momentum had been slowed enough that the train came to a stop before barreling into or through the warehouse in front of which it had stopped. He and Wanda stepped off the train and Pietro blurred in to stop beside her. He was heaving breaths, glancing back down the train, happy to see no blood, no bodies. He had gotten them all to safety. 

Steve and Wanda looked around, then gave the boy a questioning look. Pietro waved them off, asking for a minute to catch his breath. When Steve retorted that he was tempted to not give him one due to their actions before today, Wanda stepped between Cap and her brother. 

“The cradle, did you get it?” She asked him urgently. He nodded at her.

“Stark will take care of it,” he reassured her. She looked into his mind and could see he believed that Tony would deal with dismantling the cradle and its contents. She shook her head sadly. 

“No, he won’t.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Stark’s not crazy,” but even as he said it, that niggling bit of doubt rose up. 

“He will do anything to make things right,” Wanda said patiently. Those words rang true to what Steve knew about his friend and teammate. Steve walked away from her and tried to get through to his team.

“Stark.” He said. “Come in, Stark.” When Tony didn’t reply, he tried to widen the request. “Anyone on comms?” There was no response. It could have been many things, including distance, since everyone else was either already on the other side of the world, or headed there. A deep sigh later, he turned back to the twins. 

“Ultron cannot tell the difference,” she said sadly, shaking her head, “between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?” But Steve already knew the answer to that. Stark had designed the Ultron program, putting his own ideals and some of his personality into the code. 

“Damn it,” he muttered, before herding Pietro and Wanda towards the US Embassy so he could get them back to the US and the tower, and perhaps stop Tony from accidentally helping the enemy do their job. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon: Team Free Will's trip to Hell and Vision joins the team.


	14. Return to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam returns to Hell to get Lucifer's help and Dean gets a visit from Amara.

Bruce had pulled off his glasses and was rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion when Dean and Tony returned from the NEXUS. He’d been working on the last part of the lab clean up as Clint had informed him of him imminent arrival with the cradle. The Iron Man suit landed, gently putting Dean down, them both walking a little forward from the momentum. Dean gave a final ‘woohoo’ as the mask came off. He was handing it off to Tony behind him as he jogged down into the lab.

“Sammy, you gotta try that. It’s…,” Dean broke off, looking around, only seeing Bruce. Tony came down the last steps into the room and his eyebrow went up. “Where’s Sam?” Dean asked Bruce. The doctor swallowed and then opened his mouth, then closed it. 

“Brucie?” Tony cajoled his friend. He went to one of the lab computers and began to pull up surveillance cameras. He really did miss having his AI running things. As he scanned all the ones for the Avengers tower, he glanced over at Bruce.

“He said he had to take care of something,” Bruce finally said, a half shrug. Tony and Dean both turned to him directly. Tony made an impatient gesture for him to continue. “He didn’t tell me where he was going but I did overhear him talking to Crowley, something about someone named Rowena and the ‘Book of the Damned’?” He shrugged helplessly, then flinched when Dean swung around to punch the wall.

“Damn it, Sam!” Tony’s eyebrows went up.

“Why would Sam willingly talk to the King of Hell?” Dean looked up and rubbed a hand over his face as he began to pace. 

“The visions he’s been getting of the Cage?” When Bruce and Tony nodded, he rushed on. “Our last conversation was him suggesting we see if Crowley could get an audience with Lucifer without putting Sam in the Cage or letting Lucifer out. If they were talking about Rowena and the Book of the Damned, then they found something. And damn them for not waiting for me.” He yanked his phone out and hit speed dial even as he darted out of the room. 

“Think we should follow?” Bruce asked tentatively, shifting from foot to foot. Tony stared at the doorway down which Dean had disappeared. He shook his head with a sigh.

“I think we’d be better staying here doing our part, staying out of their way.” He looked over at Bruce, then pulled up the communication log to see how close Clint was with the cradle. “They have the experience dealing with Lucifer and Crowley.” He shuddered. “Personally, Sam and Dean are way stronger than I am. They are voluntarily visiting the father of evil in Hell. All we’re doing is stopping a robot from destroying the planet.” He froze and shuddered again. “And how is this our life that saving the planet is actually the easier part of the plan?”

Bruce looked up from where he was laying out some tools to share a horrified look with Tony. When the alert dinged that the Quinjet was within 30 minutes, they both nodded, took deep breaths and turned their concentration to their task. 

*****

Dean was cursing loudly, his phone still held to his ear. Neither Sam nor Crowley were answering their phones. He knew where a few of Crowley’s secret entrances to Hell were hidden around the world. It had amused him before to learn that Crowley had had one put in near the Avengers tower to facilitate being able to flood the area with demons when he felt like annoying Sam or Dean. Dean wondered if Crowley would eventually regret having done that. 

He had made it out the front door and was running the few blocks towards the hidden entrance to Hell. He took a shortcut through a park but paused midway through as he sensed something. His phone began to ring. A quick glance down told him it was Sam calling but the presence demanded his attention. He turned around, looking for the source, and there stood Amara. His phone continued to ring in his hand. She was once again the adult he’d first seen on the day she had been released. Still wearing the flowing dress and still as beautiful as he remembered. 

“You felt my presence,” she said with curiosity in her eyes. “It’s why you went through the park.” He just stared at her, transfixed, in awe, and terrified all at once. She glided closer, touching his arm, and suddenly they were in clearing somewhere else, a beautiful lake as a backdrop. But he barely glanced around before turning back to her. 

“So this is you now?” He scanned over her entire being, noticing there was not even a hint that she had ever been that creepy little girl and then the creepy teenager. She tilted her head down, a smile curving her full lips. 

“At least for today.” When his look changes from awe to fear, her smile drooped. “You misunderstand my purpose on earth.”

“Do I misunderstand all the people you’ve butchered in the park, or the church? Or the fact that you’re helping a maniacal robot attempt to destroy the world and all of humanity?” She shrugged.

“I’ve been trying to get God’s attention.” His eyebrows went up. “I tried praying, calling out in need. He ignored me. I had no reason to harm his chosen. My issue is with him alone. As he is still ignoring me, I decided to up the ante and see if mass destruction would bring him out of hiding.” Dean shook his head, stepping back. 

“Whatever the deal is between you two, whoever threw the first punch, that mess is between you two.” He furrowed his brow as he continued to feel the pull of attraction but the urgency to stop her kept him from giving in. “You’re taking people’s lives. You’re taking their souls.” She scoffed, turning to stare at the lake, then said back over her shoulder. 

“I consumed their souls. They’re a part of me and, in that way, they live forever.”

“What about when Ultron destroys everyone at once? Will you consume them as well? Will they ‘live forever’ as part of you?” She turned to face him, amused.

“Of course. It’s incredible,” she laughed. “How it endures, the propaganda. He was so threatened by me, fearful that I would make a more perfect creation than he. So, he exiled me. Virtually erased me. Passed on stories that I was a threat.” When Dean tried a light jab about God being very vocal about having followers, she waved a dismissive hand. “He encouraged religions as monuments to his ego, promised the fearful safety if they’d adore him. His way or the highway.”

“Some people find comfort in that,” Dean replied. His thoughts drifted to his brother and how he’d been floored to learn that Sam had been so faithful for his entire life while Dean, who dismissed all religion, was the ‘righteous man’. “The golden rule, Brother’s keeper. It’s his universe. His rules.” She smiled again and glided closer again. 

“What if there were no rules?” She leaned towards him, her voice lilting and his heart beginning to race. “No pain. No prayer. Just bliss. That feeling that you have when you’re with me.” She leaned closer until her mouth was only separated from his by inches, her hand coming up to touch his chest. He swallowed and took a shaky breath in. “For everyone. Forever.” 

Dean licked his lips, looking down at her plump lips, feeling himself drawn in. Her words made a vague sort of sense. If only Sammy could find peace, happiness, bliss like he was feeling right now. His brother, who had been used, manipulated, tormented, tortured for his entire life, every good thing torn away from him. It was that thought, the idea of Sam being manipulated by being like Lucifer, that Sam was probably currently facing Lucifer without his brother by his side, that it was urgent that he get back to his brother, that made him break out of her spell. He pulled back, stepping sideways, keeping his eyes narrowed in focus on her. 

“What is it exactly that you want?” She huffed a laugh and turned to watch his pacing around her. “What you make the world ‘of bliss and peace’, what’s in it for you?” She raised her head to smile broadly at him. Her hands came up to shoulder height. 

“What I deserve.” 

“Which is?” Dean stopped pacing, facing her again, watching her turn to face him fully before she threw her hands out as though encompassing the world. 

“Everything.” Her entire being radiated power.

*****

Rowena grabbed up the Book of the Damned and the bowl of ingredients, turning her head full of thick red hair towards the tall man pacing the room. 

“Sam,” she called to the tall man, who had his phone in his hand, staring at the screen. “Fergus is coming.” Sam huffed, then looked over the petite witch. 

“I promised Dean I’d call.” The witch laughed at him, watching his worry from not getting an answer melt into a bitchface. 

“And I promised Lincoln a fun night at the theatre. Things change.” When the warehouse door ground open, both of them looked up to see Crowley, ever dapper in his black suit, gesturing for them to follow him. 

“It’s now or never,” he stated, rolling his shoulders nervously. 

Not much time later, Crowley had his driver stop next to an industrial door that had a small sliding window in it. They were in an industrial area and all the buildings and doors looked the same to Sam. With a quick exchange between Crowley and a shadow through the opened window, the door swung open and the King of Hell led the hunter and the witch to the back of the warehouse where another shadowy figure held a door open for them. Sam guessed both of the men were demons and when the second door opened to reveal a sulfurous scent and a flickering red glow, he shuddered lightly. 

The red-haired witch caught Sam’s shudder, as well as when Crowley nervously straightened his suit before starting down the corridor with high brick walls, the floor sloping down, curving away into the dark red glow. She laughed, causing both her companions to glance at her. 

“You have no idea,” Crowley growled lowly. “what Lucifer is capable of.” She scoffed, shuffling her feet to keep up with them. It wasn’t that difficult as Crowley was dragging his feet and Sam knew he needed both of them to make it out of this alive, so he had slowed down to keep pace. 

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of Hell.” Sam glanced down at her nervously, the uncertainty clear. “I must say, though,” Rowena griped in her deep Scottish accent. “It’s not as scenic as I’d expected.” A thunderstorm of broiling black, gray, and fiery red clouds rolled above them. Crowley looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

“We are in the furthest reaches of Hell, Limbo, where I send unruly souls for timeout.” Rowena made a face, prompting him to roll his eyes. “What it lacks in ambience, it makes up for insecurity.” Around the next curve, Sam stumbled to a stop as the corridor opened onto a dark cavern, a few torches burning from sconces around the edge of raised area, and at the edge of an empty cage that sat just off the edge of the ledge they were heading towards. 

Rowena never paused, even to mock the hunter, only bending to begin painting sigils on the base of the cage. 

As the storm above continued to rage, thunder rolling around them, shaking the ground every now and again, Sam picked up the sounds of faint screams and shuddered again, more violently this time. He rolled his shoulders to settle his nerves. Crowley cut his eyes sideways at him. 

“Makes your flesh crawl,” Crowley almost whispered. “Doesn’t it, Moose? I get it. I’m the King of this place and it’s still not my cup of tea.” Sam took the softball that Crowley had lobbed to help him settle his nerves behind the Winchester bravado his brother was famous for. 

“I don’t know, Crowley,” Sam smirked, half-heartedly. Dean was so much better at bravado. “I’d say it suits you. Dark. Empty.” Crowley leans back, eyes narrowing in on the tall man next to him. 

“Fascinating,” he scoffed. “The utter contempt, when I’m in the midst of saving the Winchester’s bacon. Again!” The last word was nearly a shout, which made both Sam and Crowley still as though it would have awoken Lucifer before they were ready. 

“The point of this,” Sam replied softly, gesturing around them, “is to save everyone’s bacon, including yours. The Avengers are doing their part to stop Ultron-.” Crowley threw up a hand.

“They bloody created that blasted menace,” he growled. Sam nodded with his eyes closed.

“Yes, the created him, but Amara turned him on and set him loose on the world.” Crowley subsided with a huff and both of them returned their attention to watching Rowena applying the sigils. “Let’s just hope she knows what she’s doing.” Rowena looked back over her shoulder at them with a smirk.

“Don’t you worry about me, Samuel,” she purred. “I’m a professional.” Crowley fidgeted again.

“Are you certain you can do this without actually opening the Cage?” His British accent almost made it sound haughty, but she heard the slight waver. She finished the final sigil with a flourish, turning to set down the blood pot and brush. She raised her nose in the air in haughtiness as she returned to Crowley’s side.

“We are about to find out, aren’t we?” She smiled darkly, raising her arms towards the warded cage.

*****

Dean was struck by the sheer power she radiated and he feared her as he had never feared God.

“Everything?” he asked her, trying to grasp the immensity of it all. She dropped her arms and laughed.

“I was the beginning and I will be the end. I will be all that there is.” If Amara had been more of a showman, like God with his miracles or Lucifer with his evil and need to spread chaos, Dean had no doubt Amara could have made the world rumble and the lake boil but she did none of those things, only standing there in her certainty. He swallowed, turning away from her to face the lake. 

“So, you’re it, huh? That would make you God.” He slid one hand over his lower face to wipe away the sheen of sweat he could feel over his lip. The other hand slid under his flannel.

“No,” Amara replied with a slight, knowing smile, “God was the Light. I am the Dark.” Deans hand gripped the silver blade and slid it slowly from the sheath. “That’s all you need to know for now.” He spun on the spot and plunged the dagger towards her chest, aiming for the killing blow. But the dagger, instead of burying itself into her flesh, shattered without ever piercing her skin. Even her dress is unharmed. As the shards fall to the ground, Dean stumbles back, stunned. Amara again looks at him in curiosity.

“You had to know that was pointless. I know that you’re a warrior and your instinct is to resist,” she said silkily, sliding into Dean’s space, raising her hands to his face. “But I cannot be resisted.” She leans forward and begins to breathe in, as she typically did when taking a soul. But her glance at his eyes stops her and she leans closer to meet his lips with hers. She kisses him gently, insistently and he finds out she is right. He cannot resist her. He returns the kiss, feeling the bliss, even more so than before. 

When she finally releases his lips, but not his face, he blinks and touches his tingly lips with his fingertips. 

“What was that?” She can hear the awe in his voice and smiles in triumph. 

“The future,” She purrs. “The inevitable result of our first meeting. What you’ve been feeling since that moment. What we both felt. That we’re bonded. You are the one who set me free.” He stepped back, out of her hands, mouth gaping.

“No,” he ground out. “That was an accident.” She chuckled, stepping back as well. 

“It was destiny. You bore the Mark. I,” she said, raising her hand to the shoulder strap of her dress and pulling it aside, much as he and Sam had done to show their matching anti-possession tattoos. “I am the original Mark.” His eyes went wide seeing the red Mark that he had hated, that had saved them, yes, but had also brought so much pain as well. “You and I will be together.” Dean turned, pacing, making a slashing gesture with his hand. 

“No! No, that’s not going to happen.” Amara watched him pace and sighed. 

“It’s so simple, Dean. It cannot be stopped. Not by you, or your brother. Not by those ‘Avengers’,” she said flippantly. “Definitely not by Ultron. You and I will become one. Why wouldn’t you want that?” He turned to reply, but suddenly three angels appeared in the clearing behind her, causing her to spin in confusion. Dean paused, unsure what was happening, but Amara smiled and stepped to meet them.

“Amara!” Yelled the one in the middle. “You’re going to surrender to us and to the judgement of Heaven.” Amara chuckled in amusement. She glanced over her shoulder at Dean. “Not even Heaven.”

“Why,” she asked as she turned back to face them, “would I ever submit to anything of God’s creation? Tell your master to come fetch me himself.” She stared as the second one took a step forward.

“All of Heaven is on high alert,” he told her loudly. “If you resist, each and every angel in the skies will smite you, in a single unified blow.” The first angel thrust out his chest.

“Not even you could survive that.” And that was what knocked Dean into action. He rushed forward with his hands up to stop them, stopping next to her. 

“Whoa, whoa, fellows,” Dean said nervously. “dial it down a bit, okay?” Beside him Amara smiled in pride that he would defend her, even if it was pointless. The angels all looked at him in disdain. “Look, if you take her down, a whole bunch of people are going to die.” The first angel pointed the blade towards Amara.

“We’re at the point where sacrifice is inevitable,” the angel cried, charging forward, blade raised. Dean saw from the corner of his eye when Amara raised her arm towards them, and fearing for all of them, tried to appeal to her to not attack. Or maybe he was crying out in fear for her life. He only knew he needed to stop them all.

“Amara, no!” But it did no good and within seconds, Amara has destroyed all three angels, actually controlling one of them to force him to stab and eliminate himself. Dean was horrified.

“What have you done?” Overhead, the sky began to swirl and thunderheads built into a boiling mass directly above them. They both looked up. Dean might have expected a tornado to drop down, but lightening flashed and thunder boomed. Dean turned to look at her in fear. 

“It’s coming. They _will_ smite you.” Amara only smiled at him. 

“Good,” she said, “Maybe now, he’ll hear me.” Before he could make a sound or a motion, she flicked her wrist and he was suddenly back in the center of the park, as if he’d never been gone. No one jumped or stared. No one commented. It was disturbing and confused him as he looked up at the sky, trying to understand. 

His hesitation was brief before he shook himself and continued to find the door to Hell, hoping that Amara’s distraction hadn’t wasted what precious time he had to make it to Sam.

*****

The fires flared up around the cage, along with the now illuminated spell-work, as soon as Rowena spoke the final word of the invocation. She smiled at the men beside her, then began the invocation to draw the actual Cage with Lucifer in it into the cage in front of them. Sam shifted nervously, a sheen of flop-sweat appearing now that it was actually happening. The fires were still flamed up, completely surrounding the cage and the thunderstorm continued to rage overhead. Sam backed away, into the shadows before Rowena was finished. 

There was a shift in the cage, as though one image overlaid on another. Crowley cautiously looked closer, seeing a figure in the far shadows on the once empty cage. As though the figure noticed him at the same time, two glowing red eyes opened and locked in on Crowley, then Rowena, who shuddered in pleasure. The figure pushed up from where he had been leaning at the back and emerged from the dark, into the flickering light from the torches. The red glow in the eyes faded and there stood Lucifer, still wearing the guise of Nick, the poor, broken man who had been unfortunate enough to be one of Lucifer’s lesser vessels.

“My old friend, Crowley,” Lucifer smirked, leaning nonchalantly against the bars of the cage. Crowley bowed deeply in the presence of the one being he truly feared besides God. 

“A mere acolyte,” Crowley replied, trying to sound humble. “Carrying your torch.” The blond haired, blue-eyed figure in the cage scoffed, looking Crowley up and down.

“You’re too kind,” Lucifer smiled, then he sneered. “To yourself.” Crowley didn’t reply, only bowing his head, accepting the remark. Rowena glowed with adoration at the fallen angel but Lucifer hadn’t even spared her a glance until now. He sighed, glancing briefly around the cavern, eyes not even landing on Rowena. “So, what do you want from me?”

When Sam finally realized he couldn’t put it off any longer, that he’d been guided to this point, had asked for it in fact, he took in a deep breath and then emerged from the shadows in between Rowena and Crowley. He expected Lucifer to be angry and resentful since he’d escaped, leaving Lucifer and Michael in the Cage. But he hadn’t expected instead, for Lucifer’s eyes to light up and a smile to spread widely across the scruffy face. Once those blue eyes were on him, he stopped, steeling himself for the coming conversation. 

“Sam Winchester,” Lucifer breathed out, almost in reverence. “My old roomie.” When Sam shifted nervously, he smirked. Those blue eyes shifted around the cavern, always returning to Sam’s face. “I gotta say. I’m a little in the dark about this meeting. Am I up for parole? Time off for bad behavior?” He laughed, mocking Sam. “I don’t normally get visitors.”

Sam squared his shoulders and frowned, bracing himself. 

“If it weren’t for the crisis top-side, you wouldn’t be getting any visitors now, either.” When Lucifer raised his eyebrows in question, Sam proceeded. “You’re aware of the Darkness?” The fallen angel grimaced dramatically.

“Yikes. That doesn’t sound good.” He strolled down the inside of his cage as though in thought. “I’m aware of what she was, but that was eons ago.” The devil and the hunter were aware of a side conversation between Crowley and Rowena, one that Sam wasn’t paying attention to, but Lucifer was and he winked at the witch. Sam kept himself from flinching when he saw that wink.

“She’s been released. So, now she’s somewhere or everywhere on earth.” Lucifer looked back at him in mock concern.

“How ever did that happen?” The tall hunter rolled his shoulders again, brushing off the barb that he knew it was Sam who had released the Darkness. 

“The point is…she’s joined up with a maniacal robot and they are threatening to destroy the world but we both know she wants to destroy everything, not just earth. She poses a threat to all that exists, including you.” By this time, Crowley had ushered Rowena away to the raised area to keep her from being a distraction from the conversation, but they were both listening intently. 

“Hmmm,” Lucifer hummed, looking around above him. “So next question. Where’s the big burrito himself? Where’s God in all of this?” When the devil mockingly made the sign of the cross before looking back at the hunter, Sam huffed.

“All current indications of his presence,” Sam sighed, “are that there are no current indications of his presence.” Lucifer flopped lazily against the cage bars again, crossing his arms. 

“Caught the fun bus out of town? Figures.” Sam cleared his throat, drawing Lucifer’s attention back to him, not that he ever desired it, but he needed it to get the message across. 

“But recently, he has reached out to an interested party.” When Lucifer raised a questioning eyebrow, Sam gulped audibly. “Me.” Lucifer smirked and pointed at Sam mockingly.

“You?” Sam nodded, reassured in his faith that he was on the right track. 

“He answered my prayers.” The blue eyes were intent now as Nick’s body stood to attention, wholly focused on the tall man on the other side of the bars. 

“Did he now?” When Sam nodded again briefly, he turned his head and side-eyed him. “And, what was Dad’s suggestion?” Sam glanced back at Rowena and Crowley before replying. 

“To see you out.” Lucifer virtually crowed laughter, nearly doubling over.

“Get outta town! Seriously?!” He took Sam’s lack of an answer as his answer. “Huh, who’d have thunk it?” A few more paces around the cage, his finger on his mouth as though deep in thought, and Lucifer paused in front of Sam again. “I completely get why you came to me. You can’t ignore God, right? And I did help Dad seal up the Darkness all those years ago.”

“So, does this mean you’re on board?” Sam felt himself relax the slightest bit, thinking perhaps things were going to happen on the right side for a change. 

There was more chatter from Rowena and Crowley that Sam and Lucifer staunchly ignored, facing off as they were. Their conversation vacillated between Sam asking for more information on Amara and Lucifer’s flippant remarks about the brother and sister facing off for the fate of reality. 

When Lucifer proposed to Sam that he needs a vessel so he could come out and help and that Sam is the only one that would work for him, Sam was aghast.

“Did you really expect me to agree to that?” Sam asked incredulously. When Lucifer only smiled, he felt the anger rising up to replace the fear. “So, what, I just disappear while you take my body and get set loose on the world again?” The fallen angel lifted his hands and shrugged with a smile. Sam glared up at him and braced his fists on his hips. 

From there, it became less a discussion and more a sparring match. Sam railed against being possessed again, and Lucifer cajoled and guilted him with the thought it was ‘God’s will, right?’. The hunter shook his head and refused again and again. Finally, Lucifer stilled, looking down at the illuminated sigils on the cage. The longer he stared, the more they began to fail. They faded and the flames surrounded the cage began to die out. Sam’s heart raced. He looked back at Crowley and Rowena.

“What the hell is going on?” Crowley yelled, startled and concerned. Rowena only smiled down at the tableau. Within seconds, the sigils were gone and the fires had been completely extinguished. “Why did the warding fail?” He looked to Rowena as she smiled smugly and gestured for him to follow her back out of the cavern. Crowley watched as Lucifer wiggled his finger and Sam disappeared, then reappeared inside the cage. With a last look at the horrified look on Sam’s face, Crowley and Rowena left him to Lucifer.

“Together again,” Lucifer sang softly as he watched Sam back into the corner. The fallen angel followed him into the corner, stopping just outside of the range of Sam’s hands as he held them up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, Sammy. Did you miss me?” Same sucked in a deep breath and steadied himself. Surely God wouldn’t send him here if there wasn’t a plan in place. “I have to say,” Lucifer commented wryly, “you’re extraordinarily calm, given the circumstances.” Sam took stock of himself and rose back up to full height, strong in his faith. 

“Well, it’s pretty much exactly how God told me it was going to be.” Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Guess I just have to go with it and play my hand.” Sam watched the blond being nod at him.

“Well, that would make so much sense,” Lucifer responded before looking up with a dark leer, “if it was God that was doing the talking.” He took in the moment that the truth began to dawn on the hunter and smirked. “You see, Sam. When the Darkness descended, the impact on Hell was massive. The Cage was damaged.” He gestured around him but Sam couldn’t take his eyes off of the evil being in front of him. “Through the fissures, I was able to reach out to you.” He leaned down so he would be closer to Sam’s ear. “It wasn’t God inside your head, Sam. It was me.”

Lucifer leaned back to watch with a satisfied smile as the truth slammed into Sam. His calm, his visage, dissolved into abject terror. 

“You see, Sam. He’s never been with you. It was always just…meeeee.” He dragged out the last word as Sam sank into the back corner, shaking his head in disbelief. Lucifer chuckled, watching a single tear slide down Sam’s cheek. “I guess I am your only hope.” 

Sam realized his full predicament. He was here, alone, with Lucifer. He was in a cage he couldn’t escape and the being that had already tortured him for centuries had him at its mercy again. Dean didn’t know he was here. Even the Avengers, who couldn’t have helped anyway, didn’t know he was here. And the two people he had somewhat trusted to keep this from happening, had just walked out and left him. He had two choices. Say yes and unleash Lucifer on the world. Sure, Lucifer might help defeat Amara, but afterwards, there was no way to put him back in the Cage. Or he could continue to refuse and Lucifer would return to torturing his favorite chew toy as he had done before. 

With a resolve that he didn’t know he had, he shook his head again.

“No, I’ll never say yes. It’s never going to happen.” Lucifer loomed over him, sneering.

“Ah, well, settle in there, buddy.” He patted Sam’s knee affectionately, watching Sam flinch and gasp. “So, roomie. Upper bunk? Lower bunk?” And somehow Lucifer’s smile became infinitely more terrifying. “Or you wanna share?” The blond head tossed backward as booming laughter rolled around the cavern. That laughter had haunted Sam’s nightmares for years, but he had never forgotten it. He blinked in terror, feeling the shock steeling over his body as the tremors set it. 


	15. Sam Says No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean, Thor, and Cas arrive to rescue Sam from Lucifer. Chaos

“Come on,” Dean muttered to himself, getting more and more frustrated when he couldn’t find the door. He jogged lightly down the alleyway, turning and looking for the innocuous marking he knew would tell him the right door, but was having no luck. Trying to call Sam again only went to his voicemail. In desperation, he tried Crowley, knowing Sam had been colluding with him on visiting the Cage. Also, only voicemail. At the end of the alley, he slapped the brick wall and growled. “Damn it, Sam!”

“Dean.”

He turned and there were Cas and Thor, stalking towards him. 

“Cas, Thor! Man, am I glad to see you guys.” He clasped Thor’s arm once he got close and hugged Cas. “I think Amara was smited by the angels and Tony, Bruce, and Clint have the cradle. You’ll never believe what me and Tony…well, Tony, found at the NEXUS.” Cas knew his friend and knew if he was excited about something, he could go off track easily. Cas held up a hand to stall the rest of the story.

“Where is Sam? Thor has been given a vision and we must rescue Sam before we confront the others,” Cas was looking around, as though Sam was hiding nearby. 

“Confront…? Right, later.” Dean ran a hand through his hair. “Sam went to Hell with Crowley and Rowena of all people. They are taking him to talk to Lucifer in the Cage, but I cannot find the right damn door!” Cas and Thor exchanged a dark look.

“There is no tree here,” Thor frowned, looking around. When Cas and Dean appeared confused, he continued. “To get to Hel, one must use a portal in the Great Tree.”

“Well, here, it’s just a damn door,” Dean growled. He gestured around at the industrial doors in the alleyway. As he gestured, his eyes finally caught the symbol he had been looking for. Apparently, he’d looked right over it. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

He ran to it and pulled. Finding it locked, he knocked and stepped back when the peep hole slid open. A dark-skinned female face peered down at him.

“Password.” Dean rolls his eyes. He clears his throat, glancing back in embarrassment over his shoulder. 

“Camptown ladies sing this song. Do dah, do dah. Camptown... race track five miles long... oh do dah day... alright, just let me in.” 

There were a few snickers and the peephole slid closed, but the door creaked open. Dean, Cas, and Thor stepped into the industrial kitchen area. The woman who manned the door smirked at him, eyes drifting over them all. 

“Nice work, Bieber. Looks like you brought your backup dancers.” Dean scowled.

“Yeah, funny for a demon.” Thor raised Mjolnir, but a raised eyebrow from the woman, and a headshake from Cas told him she was not a threat.

“Not a demon. Name’s Billie.” All of their eyebrows went up. None of them had met her before, but they had all heard the tale of the reaper who had visited Sam with a message in that hospital corridor.

“The reaper, Billie?” When she nodded, he stared at her hard. “My brother says you want to kill us.”

“No. I’m just gonna make sure that when you die, you stay dead. Subtle difference.” Before he could comment on her being the guardian on the door to Hell, she continued. “Strange days, Winchester. Times like this, it doesn’t hurt to have the King owe you a favor.” She handed a box to Dean and told him to deliver it to Crowley on his way. As he was in a hurry, he didn’t comment. 

She headed across the room to what looked like a steel freezer door, but had warding painted on it. She laid her hand on one of the markings and it all lit up as the door swung open. The far away sound of screams, the red hue, and the subtle reek of sulfur greeted them. Billie smiled and gestured them in. 

“Watch your step. It’s a long way down.”

Dean had barely stepped into the long, winding corridor that steadily went down when his phone rang. Tucking the box under one arm, he looked down. It ready ‘666’, clearly Crowley was calling him. 

“Where’s Sam, you dick?”

“Don’t worry about Sam,” Crowley replied calmly. Dean pulled his phone to look at it in consternation, then put it back to his ear. He never missed a step, and actually picked up the pace, Cas and Thor speeding to keep up with him. 

“I’m sorry,” he ground out with sarcasm. “Have you met me?”

“I mean,” Crowley grumbled, and Dean could hear his eyes rolling over the phone, “Lucifer needs the moose. He’s not going to kill him. Probably. You versus the Devil? Eh, trust me there’s easier ways of committing suicide. We need to focus on Rowena. Now, be a good squirrel and bring me that box Billie gave you.” The line disconnected and Dean relayed what Crowley had said. They all began running down the corridor. 

*****

By the time Dean had helped Crowley force the now subdued Rowena into doing the incantation to slam Lucifer back into the Cage so they could rescue Sam, Cas and Thor had been standing outside the makeshift Cage in the cavern, watching in horror as Lucifer stood over Sam’s huddled form with a hand on his forehead. They had both tried to enter the Cage or attack Lucifer through it, but nothing worked. There was no movement from within except the subtle shift of Lucifer’s mouth as his smile ticked upwards a notch at a time every time Sam shuddered or groaned. They did not know what Lucifer was doing to their friend, but they knew they were helpless to stop it. 

Dean came running into the cavern from the side room where Rowena, trapped in the witchcatcher collar, was angrily obeying her son’s commands to hurry with the incantation to keep Lucifer from getting free completely. Dean had heard her tell Crowley that if Sam said yes before the incantation was finished, that Lucifer would be free no matter what, so his plan was to keep Lucifer off of his brother long enough to let her finish it. 

All three were standing at the edge of the Cage, unable to touch it as it the bars were freezing cold, burning them as soon as they got close enough, when Sam gasped, opening his eyes and glaring upwards at Lucifer, who pulled back and growled.

“What do you mean, no?” Sam swallowed but pulled himself up to stand in front of his tormentor, no longer cowering. He still shook, but he was done with running away. 

“You heard me. No.” Sam squared his shoulders. “My answer is no. This isn't because of Dean, or the past, this is about me having faith in my friends, having faith in my family. We will find a way. I'm ready to die and I'm ready to watch people I love die, but I'm not ready to be your bitch.” The three outside the Cage all gasped, Dean crowing inside that his brother was so strong as to fight off Lucifer for a second time, not to mention Sam’s declaration of faith in him and their friends. 

Lucifer’s eyes flashed red, then he drew back and squared off against the tall hunter. 

“You are being very selfish. Only one more small sacrifice on your part, but no. So, plan B.” He swung out and punched Sam, who yelled as he fell back into the bars. 

“Sam!” Dean cried.

“Hey, ass-butt!” Cas yelled at the same time. 

Lucifer turned almost casually, surprise on his face. He smiled at the three outside the Cage. 

“Dean, and ah, the other one.” He snapped his fingers and suddenly Dean and Cas were suddenly inside the Cage with them. Thor roared to be stuck outside the Cage. He raised Mjonir to strike the bars, but Crowley raced out to stop him, warning him damage to the Cage could free Lucifer before Rowena could finish. 

Inside the Cage, Lucifer kicked Sam to keep him down, then turned to where Dean and Cas were glancing around the inside of the Cage before squaring off against him. 

“Scared?” Lucifer smirked. Sam gasped in the corner, and coughed as he choked on his own blood, trying to roll over and get up. Cas dropped his angel blade into his hand, while Dean pulled out the blade sheathed at his lower back. 

“Not even a little,” Dean growled. Lucifer chuckled, then snapped his fingers again. Sam was the only one who flinched. 

Suddenly, the Cage was filled with music and Lucifer danced around to mock them. Dean and Cas dove in and began to fight in earnest. Thor could only watch helplessly as blows were exchanged. He could not hear over the music when Dean ran to pull his brother up and assured Sam that all they had to do was keep Lucifer busy a little longer. He could not hear the words exchanged as Lucifer leaned into a bloody Castiel and whispered something into his ear, which made Cas’ brow furrow. 

At one point, all of them were down and bloody, with Lucifer standing over Dean, his boot to the shorter hunter’s throat. When Lucifer turned to Sam, his voice did carry enough to be heard, even by Crowley. 

“Alright, Sam. I’m gonna make this real easy for you.” He ground his foot down again, making Dean’s eyes roll up as he gasped, “You say the magic word, or your brother dies. And we both know you won’t let that happen.” 

Sam attempted to stand, to rush him, but Cas got there first, throwing Lucifer into the corner, and off of Dean. In an instant, Lucifer had Cas underneath him and was laughing as he held the angel blade down with his knee. Thor, in a last ditch rage, ran towards the Cage and swung Mjolnir as hard as could.

“Last words?” Lucifer asked Cas. The angel looked up into the Devil’s face and as his mouth opened, Mjolnir struck the bars of the Cage closest to where Lucifer held Cas down. There was a bright flash of light, followed instantly by a magnificent clang, as though God himself had rang a gong across the Heavens. Everyone turned away, throwing up their arms to protect their eyes and ears, but when it died down, Sam, Dean, and Cas were now outside the Cage and Lucifer was gone. Thor dropped to his knee between Sam and Dean protectively as Rowena came strolling into the cavern, the collar still around her neck.

“You’re welcome... anyone?” She huffed when no one responded with anything more than a glare. 

Crowley strolled to the now empty Cage and reached out to touch the broken bars where Thor’s hammer had struck. He turned a calculating eye towards the god. 

“You’re bloody lucky her spell worked before you did this.” 

“So what now?” Sam asked as he rose shakily to his feet, Dean holding onto his arm as though afraid either of them would fall or disappear. 

“Lucifer is locked back in the Cage,” Crowley said thoughtfully. “No clue about the Darkness.” 

“Thor and I just came from the smiting location.” Cas frowned deeply, wiping blood from his lip. Thor did not appear any happier. 

“The power there was immense and we barely escaped that Darkness woman,” Thor chimed in. He was subdued, something the boisterous god of thunder rarely was. 

“She survived?!”

“Yes, but the smiting drained her. When we arrived, she was low on power, but still managed to prevent both of us from finishing her off.” Cas glanced at Thor, who nodded at Dean in confirmation.

“She is yet a formidable being. Mjolnir did nothing more than increase her ire.” He looked down at his hammer in thought. 

“Once she began to take our power to replenish her own,” Cas growled, “we thought it best to escape before we were killed so we could regroup and find another way to face her with the rest of the group.”

“Live to fight another day,” Dean said, waving his hand. When Cas and Thor both tilted their heads in thought, Dean smirked. “It’s a saying, ‘Sometimes it’s best to get away, to live to fight another day.’” He looked around at them. “I guess we’ll have to figure something out.”

“Or die screaming,” Rowena muttered. Crowley turned a dark look on his mother, then commanded her back to the other chamber. 

“This,” Crowley grumbled, “has been a horrible train wreck. We’re done. Team-up over. Go back to your superheroes and let me know when it’s safe to come out again.“ Dean huffed and gestured towards the retreating witch.

“What about her? She betrayed us all to set Lucifer free.” Dean didn’t want her getting free. Crowley waved dismissively.

“She stays with me. The rest of you lot…get the hell out of Hell!”

One uphill trek later, the four of them, the majority battered and bloody, came out of the industrial kitchen door into the alleyway. Billie was not there on the return trip. Dean thanked Cas and Thor for coming to help and Thor headed back to the tower to let them know what had happened, as well as to see if he could intervene in the next part of the vision. Cas told Sam and Dean to head back to as he needed to collect himself and would catch up with them there. 

As the brothers limped across the park, ignoring the curious looks they were getting, Sam half turned to his brother. 

“Is Cas alright?” Dean met his glance but shook his head. 

“Tough day.” Sam scoffed.

“Yeah. Tell me about it.” Dean could hear the unspoken words and stopped, putting his hand on Sam’s arm to stop him so he could focus on his brother. 

“You good?” Sam sighed. His faith had been badly shaken in God, but renewed in his friends and family. But he had once again made a decision without waiting for Dean and nearly released Lucifer on the earth again. With Ultron and the Darkness, and then Lucifer, it was a lot. 

“I don’t know,” Sam replied honestly. He continued walking, Dean keeping pace. “I mean what if Lucifer was telling the truth, you know, what if he’s the only-.” Dean cut him off.

“No, dude, Ultron is bad. The Darkness is worse. Ultron, her and the Devil?” Dean caught Sam’s shuddering intake of breath. “That’s a nightmare.” Sam nodded and they continued back to the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally getting to the meat of the showdown. Not many chapters left. Thank you all for hanging in there with me as the characters keep trying to rearrange the story in my head and we do a dance battle to get to the next step.


	16. The Battle Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha! And the combined teams prepare for battle on the flight to Sokovia.

The ground was very hard and very cold. Those were the first thoughts Natasha had as she regained consciousness. She lay still for a moment to get her bearings and figure out what she was working with. There was the sound of machinery and a woman’s voice muttering softly nearby. Clanging metal and sparking electricity were loud, especially as she tried to tamp down the headache that always came after a blow to the head. She could hear a male voice also talking quietly, but it was angry. She opened her eyes just enough to see what might be in front of her and caught sight of Ultron and the Darkness, standing near a metal railing not far from her. As her vision cleared completely, the woman turned a smirk towards her.

“I wasn’t sure you’d wake up,” Amara said, gliding towards her. She crouched down next to Natasha, ever elegant and unblemished in the long, flowing dress. She reached out a hand and brushed it against Natasha’s forehead, just beside the small lump and line of blood from where her head had hit the tip end of the cradle as she’d been snatched away by Ultron. “Humans are so fragile. I don’t see what my brother sees in any of you.”

Natasha cringed back, pulling herself up onto her elbows, then edged backwards, watching the cold eyes of the Darkness following her movements. The red-headed assassin glanced around, shocked to realize where they were, then gasping when she was able to see past the railing to where the machinery was making copies of Ultron out of the Vibranium. Many, many copies. One Ultron was a challenge. This many? She was beginning to feel that cold edge of fear that this might be the end of her, of the Avengers, of the Winchesters, of the world. 

Amara stood tall again and returned to Ultron’s side. Even though the metal man stood over seven feet tall, the woman in the dress still appeared taller, a larger presence. But where Amara’s gaze was disdainful of everything, she was merely interested to see where this was going, Ultron looked to be puffing up with pride. Amara looked out over the massive production of Ultron’s before glancing back at Natasha over her shoulder. 

“What are you thinking about?” Ultron responded by looking down in surprise at the powerful woman next to him, then following her gaze to the shaking figure of Natasha huddled against the stone wall.

“I think a lot about meteors. The purity of them.” He turned to look up through the opening the in the ceiling up to the blue sky. Now Amara’s gaze followed his. “Boom! Then end. Then the world is made clean to start again.”

“Why stop at destroying humans? Why not destroy the world?” Her head it tilted in honest curiosity. Ultron shook his head a little.

“It is for the new man to rebuild. I was meant to be new. I was meant to be beautiful.” He glanced down at Amara. “The world would have looked to the sky and seen hope, seen mercy.” His face narrowed into anger as he turned to glare at Natasha. “Instead, they’ll look up in horror because of you.” Natasha wrapped one arm around her middle, feeling perhaps a broken rib, but also feeling the cold fear still sloshing around inside her. 

“They wounded you,” Amara nods. “These Avengers are stronger than average humans.”

“I’ll give them full marks for that,” Ultron said, stalking towards the injured woman. “But, like the man once said, ‘What doesn’t kill me-.” Natasha jumped when a larger version of Ultron smashed down, instantly obliterating the version that had just been addressing her. Amara didn’t flinch but her cold, calculating smile spread further across her face.

“Just makes me stronger,” the new, eight foot tall, Vibranium body of Ultron said. He leaned down into Natasha’s face, and as soon as she scrambled back as far as she could go, not realizing it was a metal cell full of obsolete equipment that she had cornered herself, he reached to slam the metal grate closed, sealing her inside. She shrank down, pulling her legs up close to her body and wondered if this was even part of the fear Sam had felt in the Cage as she shuddered. Amazingly, while she had already understood him and his motives before, now she had a deeper understanding. 

Amara chuckled as she walked over to the new Ultron, stepping gently over the discarded remnants of the old body. She touched his elbow and led him from the room, him bending down to let her talk quietly into what would have been his ears had he been human. Amara glanced back knowingly at Natasha once more before they were around the corner and out of sight and sound. 

Natasha shuddered hard, then blinked, gathering herself. If Sam could do it, she had no excuses. Taking a deep breath, she looked around, a plan forming in her head, and a rare prayer going up to a God she knew wasn’t listening. Another prayer to Castiel followed it, but just in case he was still blocked from angel radio, she shifted and began to open the ice cold boxes to put together her desperate plan. Her true faith was in Clint, her best friend, the only one who would know to look for her through the unconventional channels.

*****

By the time they’d arrived back at the tower, they found that no one was there to meet them. Shrugging, they let themselves in and up to the lab where both of them had left their friends. As they stepped off the elevator, they found all of the Avengers on high alert, the cradle had been destroyed, the Maximoff twins somehow standing nonchalantly around with them, and a new superhero that appeared alien, down to the glowing yellow gem in its forehead. 

“Thor, you helped create this?” Steve, still in his Captain America uniform, the mask hanging down on the back of his neck, said, glancing at the blond god. 

“I was given a vision,” Thor replied. “Castiel and I went to Erik Selvig and he assisted me on a vision quest.” He half turned and acknowledged the Winchesters, which made all of them glance at them, some of them doing double takes at their bloody, battered appearances. “First was an evil so profound that it drowned the world. The evil was being stopped by Samuel Winchester. In the waters, there was a whirlpool that sucked in all hope of life. At its center is that.” He pointed at the gem in Vision’s head. 

“What, the gem?” Bruce frowned as Thor nodded.

“It’s the Mind Stone. One of the six Infinity Stones.” This caused all of them to blink. Sam cocked his head in thought, the words ‘Infinity Stones’ nagging at him to remember something he’d read in the bunker. “That stone is the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities.”

“With the exception of the Darkness,” Steve said, “who is the embodiment of destruction. God is creation. She is destruction.” When even Vision nodded towards Steve, he blushed. “But why would you bring the stone to be activated?”

“Because Stark is right,” Dean said as he stepped down closer to the group, holding his aching ribs. Eyebrows went up everywhere.

“Oh, it’s definitely the end times,” Bruce muttered, making Sam and Dean share a glance and shrug, that silent communication that meant ‘here we go again.’

“The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron, just as the Winchesters cannot defeat the Darkness. Not alone,” Thor said.

“No, not alone,” the new one said as Thor nodded to him in thanks. 

“Why does your ‘vision’ sound like JARVIS?” Steve asked. Tony pointed half-heartedly with some tool he held in his hands.

“We, uh, reconfigured JARVIS’ matrix to create something new.” Steve scoffed.

“I think I’ve had my fill of ‘new’.” The new superhero tilted his head at Steve.

“You think I’m a child of Ultron and the Darkness?” When Steve only gave him a suspicious look, he turned his eyes around the room and saw most of them had the same suspicion on their faces. “I’m not Ultron. I’m not JARVIS. I am.”

“I looked in your head,” Wanda said, wrapping her arms around herself, “and saw annihilation.” There were more looks of concern, but the new superhero simply smiled gently and bowed his head. 

“Look again.” Thor moved to put himself a half step in front of his new friend, a move Dean recognized that he’d made many times when Sam was threatened. 

“The twins’ powers,” Thor rumbled. “The horrors in our heads. Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone. But they’re nothing compared to what the stone can unleash, especially with the Darkness helping the evil along. Today, Dean and Castiel helped Sam turn away Lucifer, saving us all from the additional evil he would bring. But with the Mind Stone on our side-.”

“Is it?” Steve interrupted, saying out loud what most of them were thinking. “Are you?” He turned to the floating being. “On our side?” Again, the head tilt. 

“I don’t think it’s that simple. I am on the side of life. Ultron and Amara are not. They will end it all.”

“What are they waiting for?” Tony asked, looking around to all of them. The floating being nodded at Tony.

“You,” he said, before turning to look at Dean, “and you.” Dean’s eyebrows went up.

“Me?” Now Sam raised himself up to his full height and moved to stand closer to his brother, offering silent support.

“Ultron would face his creator and Amara is focused on the one who freed her.”

“But it was my doing that she was freed,” Sam spoke up, clearing his throat. The floating being nodded at him.

“But Dean wore her mark.” Dean had not yet told anyone about his meeting with Amara from the park, except in passing mention to Cas. He knew he’d have to spill soon, but not yet. Not until he had to.

“So where do we start?” Bruce asked. 

“Sokovia,” Clint said, from the back of the group, closest to where Dean and Sam now stood. “It’s where he has Nat. I got an old school morse code message from her. It’s Red Skull’s Hydra base we cleared out last time we were there.” 

“What will you do?” The floating being landed gently on the floor. “I don’t want to kill Ultron. He’s unique, and he’s in pain. But that pain will roll over the earth with Amara’s help, so he must be destroyed. Every form he’s built, every trace of this presence on the net. We have to act now, before we cannot. And not one of us can do it without the others.” He walked among them quietly. “Maybe I am a monster.” He looked knowingly at Sam. “I don’t think I’d know if I were one.” He looked at Thor. “I’m not what you are.” He smiled at Steve. “And not what you intended.” His eyes turned to Tony. “So, there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go.”

The open awe that appeared on Thor’s face when the floating being picked up Mjolnir from the floor and handed it to him, was almost matched by everyone else in the room. The rest were still recovering when Thor coughed and walked past Tony, patting his shoulder. 

“Right, well done.” 

Steve gathered himself quickly, then turned to face each of the people within the room. They were a disparate group, even their own team at odds with each other. The Avengers, not quite trusting each other as they should. The Winchesters, headstrong, volatile, and wild. The Maximoffs, young and impulsive. Vision, as he called the being in his own mind, new and more powerful than any being he’d yet seen. Somehow, they all needed to work together to save the world from Ultron and the Darkness. Knowing little about the dynamics outside his own team, and knowing the Winchesters switched roles as needed, they would need someone to pull them together, to strategize and to lead them. With a deep sigh, he pulled from his experience during the war as Captain America and squared his shoulders.

“Ten minutes,” he said with confidence. All eyes swiveled to him expectantly. “Get whatever you need and then we leave for Sokovia.” This was met with silent nods and they all scattered.

*****

Steve already had his uniform and shield so he took over directing Wanda and Pietro to some of the training gear downstairs that they could make use of. Stark had the most advanced outfits and weapons, but the twins only changed into sleeker clothing with some built in protection. In Pietro’s case, he commandeered a pair of Steve’s high tech running shoes that were highly durable. Steve also gave them both coms, giving them basic instructions on how they worked before heading out to the Quinjet.

Clint was in his own room, making sure his quiver was complete as well as any additional arrowheads he could strap on, some hidden daggers, and his own reinforced cold weather outfit that Tony had made for him not that long ago as fighting in New York in winter wasn’t as fun in just a sleeveless vest. Knowing that he couldn’t call Laura, he stared down at the picture of her and the kids that he had carried into every battle, then folded it, kissed it gently, and tucked it securely into the inner lining of his jacket.

Thor and Vision found a secluded balcony to discuss strategy and the Infinity Stones. Thor knew there was more coming about those soon, but it was secondary for now. Bruce was his own weapon, so he joined Steve in the Quinjet on the roof as they waited for the rest to join them. Tony ran down to his lab to replace the now repurposed JARVIS with one of the other AI’s he had created. After a short internal debate, he uploaded FRIDAY and set the female voiced AI to load into his current Iron Man suits. When she greeted him as ‘boss’, he smiled with melancholy. 

Sam and Dean had run down to the impala to see what they had that they could use as they were the least qualified to be in this major battle. As they stood at the trunk and checked ammo, weapons, and spell components, Sam turned his bruised face towards his brother.

“So, Cas isn’t coming?” Dean glanced up from the rocket launcher he was securing, to the Solomon’s Key etched into the trunk lid before looking back down at the weapon in his hands.

“Nah, he’s taking that Asgard potion back to the angels. He’s still researching for us how to lock Amara away.”

“Do you think we have a chance against both Ultron and Amara if we don’t have any plan on how to deal with her?” Dean glanced over at him, not knowing how to answer. Sam swallowed. “You think Tash is okay?” His voice was really quiet and his hands stilled on the ancient spellbook he had been packing into his messenger bag. Dean leaned sideways a little, bumping his shoulder gently. 

“Sam,” Dean said, full attention on his brother. “Natasha is a survivor. She’s also damn deadly. Every one of those guys upstairs avoids ticking her off.” Sam chuffed a short laugh, making Dean smile. “I’m surprised that damn robot hasn’t contacted us begging you to take her back yet.” When the taller man grunted and bumped his shoulder back, the shorter one snorted. “Let’s do this.”

Sam nodded at him, standing back to let Dean shut the trunk and they headed back up to meet the others.

*****

“Ultron knows we're coming,” said Steve once they were in the air. “Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out.” He looked around the jet at the menagerie of people. “All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them. We can get the job done, and find out what Ultron's been building.”

No one spoke, no arguments. It was make or break time for the combined team. 

“Stark, you focus on Ultron as he’ll be focused on you.”

“He does hate you the most,” Vision interjected with a meaningful look at Tony, who blinked and shrugged one shoulder. 

“While he’s doing that, Pietro, you need to get the authorities moving on getting everyone to leave the area. Wanda, you need to use that mind control magic to help persuade them to leave quickly but orderly.” The twins exchanged a look, then nodded. “Clint, we need your eyes up high to make sure everyone is moving and help spot obstacles or incoming.” Clint raised one hand in a two-finger salute from the jet’s flight controls to indicate his understanding. 

“Sam, you, Bruce and Thor go find Romanoff. If she’s too injured to fight, get her out there and back to the jet. No arguments. We can’t afford the delay if she can’t hold her own in the coming fight.” He waited for their nods before continuing. “Dean, is there any chance we can take Amara out of the equation?”

Dean cleared his throat.

“She’s obsessed with me,” he told them, trying not to react when their eyebrows went up. “I’ll do what I can to distract her from you guys to keep her away.” Sam started to loudly object, but Dean shook his head. “Nah, man. We don’t need anything supernatural interfering more than it already has.”

“But that’s just it,” Sam said quickly, his face lighting up as an idea struck. “I think we do need to involve more supernatural beings. The ones that can help anyway.” When everyone looked at him in concern and confusion, he hurried on. “Think about it. All the monsters out there are terrified of the Darkness. They know it’s their end too if she wins. We already have the Zanna on our side. And the angels if we can get the word out in the local Sokovia area.” Dean’s eyebrows went up and he nodded, impressed. 

“And I’m sure Crowley can contact his contingent in that area to send up hellhounds and demons to help fight.” Dean shrugged. “And I ain’t exactly comfortable with it, as most of the creatures are opportunistic asses, but I’m sure if the other things, like vamps and werewolves, know what we’re doing, they might help us take on Ultron.” The Avengers were giving Dean and Sam nervous looks, but the twins looked downright horrified, but did not ask.

The brothers held a short and silent conversation with minute gestures, before turning to Steve for his approval. He thought about it for a moment, then contemplated how having the help from such chaotic being could go wrong.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” said Vision from beside Thor, who tilted his head. Steve looked around, not seeing anyone willing to outright reject the idea. 

“See who you can contact while we’re in the air and maybe we can get a temporary truce in place for the duration,” Steve finally said. “But I want everyone here to have the basic protections against them in case they decide to take advantage before, during or after the battle.” 

“Of course,” Dean scoffed as Sam began digging through his bag for anti-possession necklaces for the twins. He offered one to Vision, but just blinked when Vision simply changed the design on his suit to incorporate the symbol into his flesh once he’d seen it. Then, as Steve continued to outline his plan, he handed out flasks of holy water, silver daggers, and salt containers that they could hide on their persons. 

“I’ll be on the ground, helping directing the citizens away from the city once Wanda and Pietro get them moving. Thor, as soon as you can, join me there so we can keep them going.” Thor nodded. “Once we clear the field, we keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we’re monsters and that we’re what’s wrong with the world. This isn’t just about beating him. It’s about whether he’s right.” He turned and glanced at Tony, both of them coming to the conclusion that they were in this together.

Once he was sure everyone understood their roles, Sam called to Sully out loud, while Dean pulled out his phone to call Crowley. Everyone except Clint flinched when both the rotund, colorful Zanna and the dark, dapper demon popped into the quinjet at the same time. 

“Sam!” Sully said with a bright smile.

“Squirrel,” Crowley said with a deep frown at the same time. Both looked at the other and took a step back from each other. “I have the feeling things are about to get very interesting, but very complicated,” the demon said, straightening his lapels.

“Demons, Sam?” Sully stage whispered. “Is it time for that already?”

Sam and Dean exchanged deep sighs and exasperated sighs before each guide their contacts to different corners of the already overcrowded jet to discuss the plan. From Sam’s corner by the pilot seat, Sully hummed and nodded in concern. From Dean’s corner at the edge of where the ramp was sealed, there were several scoffs and a few outright laughs. Before long, the brothers looked up at nearly the same time and shrugged. They brought their contacts together in the middle of the jet, with everyone else looking on in silence, awe, amusement, and fear. 

“The Zanna are happy to help, Sam,” Sully was smiling proudly as Crowley eyed him up and down with amusement and disdain. 

“Any friend of Moose and Squirrel…,” Crowley stopped, looking around, then shook his head, “let’s just get on with this.” 

As the discussion got more into who needed to be contacted and how they were expected to help and to behave, they could really feel Sam’s legal skills at work with the conditions and codicils of Crowley’s side of the agreement being convoluted and full of loopholes in the demon’s favor. There were agreements that none of the citizens were allowed to be possessed, killed, kidnapped, or attacked by any of the supernatural beings, but in return, there would be a temporary truce in the area, where none of the supernatural beings would be killed, captured, or attacked as long as they abided by the agreement. 

It was an uneasy agreement, but Sam and Dean felt they might actually have a chance now. Dean also called Cas, who offered to see if the angels would assist as well, but promised nothing as they were still fighting amongst themselves. Sully and Crowley popped out of the jet as it was finally passing over the last of the ocean. 

“Now we prepare mentally,” Steve said once everyone was settled again. Sam settled into a far corner, knees pulled up, the spellbook spread open as he looked for any magic that might help them without doing harm to their allies. Dean was left talking to the twins about their relationship with the supernatural, giving them the very abbreviated version of their lives. Clint had just spotted their destination in the distance and called out the 20-minute warning before Steve was assured enough that everyone was finally on the same page. 

Dean had finally settled next to Bruce and laid his head back, eyes slitted to watch his brother. The doctor leaned towards him and quietly asked about their visit with Lucifer. Tony, Steve, and the twins were close enough to hear without Dean raising his voice loud enough to disturb Sam. Vision was listening in as well, but kept his attention muted.

“It was a trick,” Dean said softly. “It wasn’t God sending the visions. By the time I got there, that red-headed witch bitch had already let the wards fail.” Wanda’s eyes widened and Dean raised a hand. “Rowena, Crowley’s mother. She was in league with the devil. He had Sam in the Cage and was doing something to him. Probably trying to get him to say ‘yes’ to being possessed, but Sam…” He caught his breath and smiled fondly.

“Sam told the fallen archangel ‘no’,” Thor said louder than Dean had been speaking. Sam glanced up at them, realizing what they were all huddled and talking about. He blushed, ducked his head back into the book, letting his hair fall over his face. 

“Yeah, he sure did,” Dean sighed. “He fell for the false visions, but he still beat Lucifer. Again. Even when that evil bastard threatened to kill me and Cas, he denied him.” Other eyes in the jet drifted over to the gentle giant in the far corner, his eyes coming up nervously to glance away and avoid their stares. “And if we pull this off with the alliance of superheroes and supernatural, I’m going to do everything in my power to make up for all the crap I’ve thrown at him. Try to give him that normal he thinks he doesn’t deserve.”

By the time the jet began to descend, Sam had a few spells, wards, he offered to cast over everyone that would help protect them from the supernatural allies, just in case they did break the truce, and had a few recipes he wanted to throw together for magical emp bombs that he hoped would help weaken Ultron. He had found nothing more to help with the Darkness but Crowley had Rowena under his control and was working to get her to find something to help stop or destroy Amara.

Sam redirected all questions and concerns about his own wellbeing back to the task at hand.


	17. Saving Sokovia, Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evacuation and engaging the enemy. Amara and Ultron have no fear of not winning, and they might be right.

They watched Iron Man zip away, carrying Dean, to meet Ultron and Amara in the church that Wanda and Pietro had pointed out, then each turned to their own tasks. Sam took several deep breaths, worry for his brother clear, before heading off with Thor and Bruce to locate Natasha. Pietro waited only a moment before racing away in a blur towards the police station. Clint darted stealthily through the city to climb high and find a perch where he could watch the most obstacle-ridden points. 

Wanda stepped to the edge of the city and began weaving her magic, summoning all the inhabitants to leave with urgency. She barely flinched when she felt Sully appear suddenly beside her. He whispered into her ear that all the Zanna who could help were on the move through the city to get their children, their families, and anyone else to listen and leave, hoping to ease the burden on Wanda’s magic for so many people. From where he was perched, bow at the ready, Clint could see the red, wispy tendrils of Wanda’s magic weaving through the city. He also twitched a smile, often confused, as he also saw what he assumed were the Zanna bouncing among the leaving crowds, trying to keep spirits up. They were a wide range of beings, some being animalistic, with horns or wild colored fur. Others were very human looking, but stood out for some reason or another, such as one who appeared to be a cartoon superhero. Either way, he was grateful as he watched one Zanna, a very hairy male in a pink leotard and tutu, easily lift up a little girl who had tripped and fallen. The girl giggled when he booped her nose before handing her off to what was probably her father.

Ultron and Amara looked at each other smugly once they realized their prey had arrived. They were both aware of what they had left in Natasha’s hands and she had played into it very neatly. Amara waved him away to face his first creator, then turned to look up as though hearing something. The dark smile grew on her face and she glided from the room in the castle, leaving the shivering Natasha to the now empty cavern.

The red-headed assassin was listening intently for what the woman had heard that made her leave, but her ears were not that sensitive. She didn’t have to wait long to find out as one the of outer walls blasted inwards, leaving a Thor sized hole that soon filled with Thor, then Bruce, followed by Sam. 

“Natasha!” Both Bruce and Sam called out to her. She leapt to her feet to meet them at the freezing cold bars of her cell. Thor nodded in her direction, then darted down a side hallway, another mission in his mind. 

“Bruce! Sam!” She could barely hold back the relieved sigh when she saw the short scientist and the tall hunter race over, Sam leaning through the bars to give lean his forehead against hers and wrap his fingers around hers. His eyes closed and she smiled.

“Are you alright?” Sam asked once he lifted his head again. She nodded and shook herself. 

“Yeah, I don’t suppose you see a key lying around somewhere?” She smirked. Sam shook his head but backed away quickly, glancing over where Bruce stood a little bit away. 

“Yeah, I did,” came Bruce’s reply as he lifted one of the recovered Hydra weapons to aim at the bars. She quickly backed away into the corner before it blasted a beam that obliterated the locking mechanism. Seconds later, Bruce and Sam had pulled the cell door open and Sam had swept her into his warm hold. She shivered as she felt his warmth wrapped around her, his nose in her hair. Bruce smiled self-consciously and looked away when she tilted her head back, expecting and getting the emotional kiss from the tall man. They were melded together for less than half a minute, yet they all felt the urgency of the situation. Bruce cleared his throat, causing them to step back, arms still wrapped around each other. 

“Everyone is in the city,” he said nervously. “It’s about to light up.” Natasha nodded, glaring playfully at Sam as he licked his thumb and tried to wipe away a dried blood spot on her forehead. She batted his hand away.

“So, what’s our play?” When Bruce and Sam glanced at each other, then back at her, she raised an eyebrow. 

“There’s a lot going on out there,” Sam said finally. “Bruce can get you to safety-.”

“The job’s not finished,” she cut him off with a concerned look. Bruce and Sam shared another glance, then Bruce shrugged one shoulder. It must have been enough for Sam, who turned his gaze back to her. 

“We have the Avengers, my brother, and we’ve recruited some of the supernatural community under a truce to help stop Ultron.” He sighed, leaning his cheek down to the top of her head. “We could help with the evacuation. You’ve done plenty and I think-.”

“My fight is NOT over,” she cut him off again. She turned her dark green glare on Bruce, then back to Sam. “You’d never run from a fight.” Both men nodded, agreeing with her. “I adore you both for trying to protect me, but let’s finish the job.” 

With that, Bruce shook his head, but instantly began changing shades as he expanded, becoming the Hulk. Sam stepped over behind him, reaching up, and gripped the green giant around the neck, his long arm nearly circling all the way around. His other arm tightened around Natasha and she tightened the arm she had around Sam’s waist, then met his other arm around Hulk’s neck. Sam smiled down at her.

“Okay, big guy,” he said to let Hulk know they were ready and to warn Natasha. With a grunt, Hulk loped forward, easily carrying both of them, and leapt into the deep pit that emptied into a tunnel under the castle. The first step, that long drop, had Sam yelling and even Natasha screamed in fright and exhilaration. Hulk just smiled to himself. 

*****

As the evacuation continued, Tony and Dean landed in the church. They shared a look as they watched where Ultron and Amara stood side by side. 

“Come to confess your sins?” Ultron asked, with a hint of sarcasm. Tony nervously half-smiled at his personality. Dean, however, scoffed with laughter. 

“I don’t know, dude. How much time you got?” Amara’s eyebrow went up and she stared at the hunter, as though reading his soul. 

“More than you,” Ultron rumbled as he squared his shoulders and started towards the two humans. Amara simply raised one hand to his chest, and he paused with an angry huff. 

“Let’s indulge him,” Amara smiled eerily. Tony and Dean both gulped audibly. Inside Tony’s suit, Friday was busily scanning the area and relaying the information to him and the rest of the team. Dean shifted uncomfortably under her gaze but kept his eyes mostly on the giant robot thing next to her. For now, it was a tense standoff. 

“Uh, have you been juicing?” Tony asked suddenly, breaking the silent stalemate. “A little Vibranium cocktail?”

“What did you give him, Amara?” Dean boldly accused her. Her face broke into an amused grin. “Huh? Does he have powers now, or something you think would keep us from being able to destroy him?” Tony glanced in horror at Dean, then Amara, then back at Ultron.

“I only gave him awareness,” she replied, her voice lilting as though challenging him to dispute her. “I am only here for you, Dean.” She glided over the rubble towards him. He took a stumbling step back and she reached out as though to steady him, then as soon as her hand was on his arm, he froze. She turned to Ultron. “We’ll leave you to your fun.” And before Tony could do more than open his mouth, Amara and Dean blinked out of existence. 

Tony sent a silent prayer for Dean to be safe and rose into the air just a foot or so for maneuverability and began to circle Ultron, keeping outside his radius for now. 

“You’re looking, I don’t want to say, puffy…,” he tried to joke as he waved a hand to indicate Ultron’s new body. “You’re much taller now. Pretty soon it’ll just be me and Bruce and the spy twins on this end of the height chart.” Ultron tilted his head and his eyes narrowed.

“You’re stalling,” he grumbled. “To protect the people.” Tony stopped slipping sideways.

“Well, that is the mission. Did you forget?” Ultron scoffed.

“I’ve moved beyond y our mission,” he huffed, swiping one giant hand in a dismissive gesture. “I’m free.” Suddenly, the old throne in the center of the church exploded as the Vibranium core burst from underground and then split into four sections, three falling down like flower petals around the central shaft. Tony blinked in surprise. “What? You think you’re the only one stalling?” There was a smile reminiscent of Amara gracing the amazingly expressive metal face. 

Friday went into overdrive, scanning, analyzing and relaying information as soon as it came in, but it only made Tony more nervous the more he learned from her. The function was unclear but as it was Vibranium, it would be devastating, no matter what it was. 

“This is how you end, Tony,” Ultron said smugly. “All of you. This is peace in my time.” He tilted his head back, gesturing with wide open arms and the reports began within seconds. There were dozens, possibly hundreds of copies of Ultron now attacking the city. Tony’s eyes widened, then he fired a pulse towards Ultron. 

From the comms, Tony could hear Steve shouting, presumably at the fleeing refugees, then Wanda’s wavering accent urging someone off a bridge. There were sounds of battle and it all blended into one horrifying clash until Friday lowered the ambient noise to filter only on the voices of their fellow combatants to keep the focus on the teams. 

Vision joined Tony in confronting Ultron, making the connection and beginning to burn him from the internet. By the time Ultron caught on, it was too late. 

“You take away my world,” Ultron roared angrily, “I take away yours.” With a final flick of his hand, he grabbed the top of the central shaft of the core and twisted it, setting the machine he’d created in motion. 

The ground began to rumble and shake, the evacuees screaming and running in panic. The Zanna did their best to calm the children and keep them on the path to escape, the parents following their fleeing children. The Avengers were all directing the people of Sokovia while fighting off the Ultron clones. Wanda’s red mist and Clint’s explosive and electric arrows wove curves and lines between and above the citizens to bring down the metal monsters. Pietro was a blur as he raced among them, helping people or distracting the clones. Steve and Thor were slamming their fists and weapons into the menaces, but watched in fear as the bridge, the main way out of the city, began to break apart. 

Back in the church, Friday shared her analysis of the situation with Tony. He gasped in a shuddering breath once he realized the full impact. 

“Do you see?” Ultron crooned, looking around. He was nearly waxing poetic. “The beauty of it. The inevitability. You gave me life, and Amara gave me awareness. Even as something rises, it falls.” He hovered near Tony and Vision. “You, Avengers, along with your helpless allies, are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword.” 

“Heaven already tried the sword thing,” Sam yelled as he ran into the room with his gun in one hand and a hex bomb in the other. “And that didn’t work out either.” Ultron turned a curious glance to the tall hunter, then shook his head and faced Tony again. “The earth will crack with the weight of all your failures.” He smirked down at Sam, who swallowed around the fear and guilt that rose up at that. “Amara told me everything. And no matter what you do, purging me from your computers, turning my own flesh against me,” he frowned at Vision, “it will all mean nothing. When the dust settles, the only living thing in this world will be metal.” 

Sam stumbled with the shaking, rumbling ground, but caught himself and threw the hex bomb at Ultron, yelling something that was lost in the chaos. The small bag barely brushed Ultron’s leg, but upon impact, the metal body collapsed to the ground and began to fall apart like a sandcastle. Tony and Vision gave Sam a surprised look. He shrugged.

“Small, powerful,” he told them, “but I do have a limited supply.” He gestured at the messenger bag laying against his hip. 

Friday spoke up, explaining how the Vibranium core’s magnetic field was keeping the rock that was the now flying city together. She expanded with an update that the current height would kill thousands upon impact but once high enough, it could indeed cause global extinction. 

“Sam, where are Cas and Crowley’s supposed help?” Tony asked. 

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe they didn’t make it before the city got off the ground. We may be on our own.”

“The Zanna are here,” Sully suddenly said from next to Sam. “But it’s bad, Sam. Real bad.” Sam put his free hand on Sully’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Sully, I know. We just keep doing what we can, right?” Sully gave him a brave smile.

“Always keep fighting,” the Zanna said fondly, then nodded and disappeared, heading back into the fray to help where he could. 

The three shared a look, then they all headed in different directions to fight the Ultron clones and help the others with saving the innocent citizens. 

*****

At the top of a mountain overlooking the valley where the city had once resided, Dean gasped as he looked over at the gap between himself and the massive rock that held the last of the city, most of its people who had not escaped in time, the Avengers, and his brother. He turned to face Amara with fear in his eyes.

“Fix this,” he yelled, pointing at the still rising rock. “Fix it now, Amara!” She smiled indulgently at him, looking over his shoulder for a moment before turning her gaze back to him.

“Why?” She smirked at him. 

“There are thousands of people on that rock,” he cried. “You think killing them will get God’s attention?”

“A few thousand? No. The rest of humanity,” she said with a shrug. “who knows.” Dean blinked in astonishment. “I have what I want here with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“You honestly think I’ll stay with you if you kill all those people? My brother?” She furrowed her brow. “I may not be able to fight you, but I’ll kill myself if you don’t stop it. And I can make it permanent. Believe me, I know how.” He stood tall, glaring at her, fists balled at his side. 

“You’re bluffing,” she said, sliding her hand up one tense arm. She grinned when he didn’t immediately pull away, but was shocked when he finally did. 

“You look at my face and you tell me if I’m bluffing,” he growled at her. She frowned at him in consternation. She crossed her arms delicately, fingertips resting in the opposite elbows, and started a slow pace, like a jungle cat. 

Behind Dean, the city continued to rise, dirt, chunks of rock and concrete fell away from the rock to smack into the open crater in the valley. They were too far away to hear the screams of the people, but Dean could imagine it and above them all, he imagined he could hear his brother’s voice, strong and brave, hiding his own fear while doing his damnedest to save people. 

“Fix it,” He growled. “Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter, but we're leading up to the final battle. Where are Cas and Crowley's promised help?


	18. Bet You Didn't See That Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Battle for Sokovia. Can they stop Ultron? What about Amara?

Sam’s eyes darted around, taking in everything around him, including the terrified humans, the flying or stalking Ultrons, Steve over by the bridge edge beating down on one of the clones with his shield, up to the bathtub being flown by Iron Man. It was heart-pounding chaos. It wasn’t until he saw a Sokovian man go down, most likely dead, then stand back up and turn to fight that he noticed the small changes around him. 

Where any citizen had fallen, injured or dead, they were rising up again and taking up anything they could find to attack the clones. The rest of the people continued to scream and scramble away. One citizen caught his eye, mainly because the woman was looking directly at him and once she saw him looking, she nodded. Then she bared her vampire fangs and launched at one of the clones. Another man grew claws, like a werewolf, before lifting up a large chunk of concrete to throw at the attacking robots. Finally, Sam realized that not all of the smoky haze was from fires, but was blacker and more directed than that.

“Not even a thank you?” Crowley snarked from beside him. He whirled his head to take in the King of Hell for a second before launching another hex bomb at a pair of clones that were flying low and close together. One fell from the sky and the other stuttered, taking only a partial hit. 

“Have you seen any angels?” The tall hunter asked without looking at him again. He strode forward, his empty hand guiding people towards where Steve and Thor appeared to be gathering the people who hadn’t made it off the rock. He heard Crowley huff from nearby, knowing that the demon was staying close by. Sam pulled out his gun and fired at the face of one of the clones, taking out an eye, but not stopping it. 

“There were one or two towards the center of the town,” the demon replied, sounding put out. “But they didn’t look very happy to be here.” Sam paused for a second and gave Crowley a scathing glare.

“I don’t think anyone is ‘happy’ to be here, except Ultron and Amara.” Crowley rolled his eyes, then waved his hand, using his powers to toss an incoming clone into a nearby building. “Have you seen Dean?” He couldn’t afford to wait for an answer, so turned to go back to the battle. 

“Squirrel is alive and safer than you, anyway. My sources say he and that bitch are away from the city.” Crowley meandered next to Sam, using his powers to toss the clones that got too close but they didn’t go far. The Ultrons had finally caught on. They were turning to attack only the Avengers, Sam, and any of the humans that attacked them, who now appeared to be demon possessed, werewolves, or vampires. Which drew the attacks away from the humans. “I believe she’s just staying nearby so she can let Dean watch her plans in action.” 

“Thank you,” Sam sighed, targeting another clone with his gun. The shot went wide when it got close enough to swipe at him, but Crowley prevented the hunter from serious damage with a show of power and strength. 

“And before you ask,” the demon said, pulling Sam to his feet again, “my demons have been instructed to only possess the dead or those close to dying. And they’ll leave with me when this is over.”

Sam nodded at him in gratitude, before darting off through the crowd to where he saw Natasha using her ‘lightning sticks’ while riding the back of one of the clones. Crowley dusted off his suit, eyeing Sam’s retreating back with a small smile, then disappeared again. 

Over the comms, Sam could hear the Steve and Tony’s back and forth about ‘incoming’ and ‘bringing the city back down safely.’ When Steve gave the order to the rest of them on comms to ‘hurt ‘em back’ and then said, “You get killed, think like a Winchester: walk it off.” Sam couldn’t help but laugh softly. Each person checked in with locations and status with renewed purpose.

They all heard Wanda’s panic attack, and boy could Sam relate, and Clint’s fatherly pep-talk that reminded Sam so much of Dean. Clint went on about how ridiculous the situation was with the flying city, the army of robots, and how he was using a very archaic weapon, but he wasn’t giving up. Sam could overlay Dean’s voice over the archer’s with the way he told her that he wasn’t here to babysit, that she could fight or she could stay there and be safe. It was his offer that she would be an Avenger if she went into the battle, right before the comms went quiet from them that made Sam wonder which she had chosen. Until he glanced down the side street and saw Wanda and Clint fighting side by side. Silently, he cheered her even as he ducked another clone.

Shortly, Clint announced that they were clear, to which Steve replied in a panicky voice that they were very not clear in his sector. When Pietro taunted Clint, Sam wasn’t sure if anyone else heard the archer’s whispered snark towards the speeding teenager, but with Clint clearly taking on the fatherly role with the twins, Sam knew it was just grumbling. He reported in that he was on his way to where he’d last seen Tash, but she snorted and echoed Pietro’s taunt that she was already with Steve and Thor. So, he turned back, heading to his next target, blowing out his puffed cheeks, shooting over his shoulder when the clones got too close. 

Once they had most of the survivors heading in the same direction and nearly gathered, Steve began the serious talk of the final plan. Tony told them about a way to blow up the city, but he wanted everyone clear first. Steve nixed it and asked for a better plan. Natasha stated the obvious that there was no way to save all of these people, that the choice was everyone on the rock, versus the rest of the world. Steve’s ‘I’m not leaving this rock with one civilian on it.’ Was met with Natasha’s soft reply that there were worse ways to go.

“Where else am I going to get a view like this?” She said with a sad smile. When the new voice cut in, they all looked up in surprise.

“Glad you like the view, Romanoff,” Nick Fury laughed over the comms. Nat smirked at Steve, then looked over to where the Helicarrier had appeared at the edge of the rock, near where most of the citizens had been gathered. “Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She’s dusty, but she’ll do.” Steve stopped and laughed in that direction.

“Fury, you son of a bitch.” 

“Oooh!” Fury cooed, “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Steve blushed, then gave a playful glare at Natasha, who simply shrugged, shooting at another clone. Their numbers had dwindled so they were all able to take a short breather. From somewhere deeper in the city, they could hear Hulk roar, so he must have still been taking one or two on. 

Pietro raced up, stopping next to Steve and gawking. 

“This is SHIELD?” Steve smiled fondly.

“This is what SHIELD’s supposed to be.” Pietro nodded next to him.

“This, this is not so bad.” 

There were smaller airships, ones Maria’s voice had identified as ‘lifeboats’, drifting closer and closer to the rock, dropping down ramps that bridged the gap from land to ship. Steve immediately began directing the staff on the ‘boats’ and the heroes nearby to load up the citizens to get them to safety. There was that feeling of a win creeping over Sam until Maria’s voice called out that bogies were incoming. They all looked up and saw more Ultron clones coming in, some heading for the boats, and some to the helicarrier, from which War Machine flew with pulse shots similar to Iron Man’s to blow the clones from the sky. 

On the ground, Clint, Pietro, and the SHIELD personnel herded the people above the boats and oversaw them lifting away and an empty one coming for the next load. Around them, Steve, Wanda, Iron Man, and War Machine defended the area from the attacks. 

*****

In the Church, Thor was battling Ultron one on one, the area around it, suspiciously clear of enemies.

“You think you’re saving anyone?” Ultron rumbled in Thor’s face. “Only the one Amara took will survive this. I turn that key,” he said gesturing to the pedestal in the center, “and drop this rock a little early and it’s still billions dead. Even you can’t stop that.” Thor raged back at him, throwing punches and swinging the hammer.

“I am Thor, son of Odin, and as long as there is life in my breast, I…am running out of things to say!” He smirked over Ultron’s shoulder, making Ultron pause in confusion. “Are you ready?” Before Ultron can fully turn, the god of thunder has tossed his hammer to Vision, who hovered nearby. Vision slammed the Ultron clone with the hammer, watching as it fell lifeless, then drifted over to lightly toss the hammer over to Sam, who had jogged up. Sam startled but caught it deftly, swinging it around a few times before handing it over to Thor. 

“It’s terribly well balanced,” Vision said. Thor beamed and glanced between the two, a human, and a superbeing, both being worthy of Mjolnir, found so close together in time that it could not be coincidence. 

“Well,” he said humbly, swinging it around himself, “if there’s too much weight, you lose the power on the swing…”

Sam had already reached into his pouch for his book and some ingredients, flipping through for the warding he was seeking. The others watched him work drawing out symbols around the inside of the church ruins as Tony landed near the pedestal. 

“Thor, I’ve got a plan!” Thor made a gesture for Sam to keep working, then turned to look to where he could see others of their team heading towards them. 

“We’re out of time. They’re coming for the core,” Thor growled. Iron Man’s faceplate fell away and he looked around. 

“Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier,” Tony called to War Machine, who acknowledged and went to work. “Avengers!” He said loudly into the comms, then glanced at Sam with a half-smile, “and Winchesters…” Sam didn’t look up from his work but smiled and make a gesture with the chalk in his hand. “Time to work for a living.”

*****

On the mountain overlooking the valley, Dean was now looking up at the rock that was now so high it was nearly obscured by the clouds. The anxiety and anger in that moment was tempered by Amara’s presence but when he blinked and it was too high for him to follow with his human sight, he whirled on her. 

“If you won’t stop this,” he asked her, his voice surprisingly level, “at least take me to my brother. Let me see him. Let me die with him.” She gave him a sad smile.

“Dean, you’re under my protection when I’m with you. I can take you back, but it’ll only be to watch him die, along with everyone else.” She touched his arm gently. He shuddered but didn’t pull away. “I can spare you this as you and I are destined to be together forever.” He lowered his head and then looked up at her again.

“I can’t let him die without me there,” Dean told her, his eyes shining with as yet unshed tears. “Please.”

She looked him up and down, then nodded slowly. 

“If only so you can see him die and realize he’s not around anymore to keep you from me,” she replied in her silky voice. “And I know you’re there, ‘uncle Crowley’,” she laughed mockingly. With that, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, where Crowley stepped out from behind a boulder with his hands up. 

“My dear Amara,” he crooned in her direction. “I only came to verify what my minion reported.” He turned towards Dean. “Squirrel. Should I prepare a place for the Boy King to finally join us?” Dean took a deep breath at the dapper demon. 

“He better end up in Heaven,” Dean growled at him. With that, Crowley bowed towards Amara, then vanished. Amara rolled her eyes as she turned to take Dean’s elbow. 

“Shall we?” Then the world shifted around Dean. They were suddenly back in the city, now in ruins, nearly deserted, dead bodies and robot husks littering the ground, more humans that robots. Amara sighed and leaned into his side and she strolled towards the church where they could see the heroes gathering. 

“I do hope this will be sufficient for you to give yourself over to our destiny, Dean.” She laid her head on his shoulder and he swallowed but stayed silent. 

*****

Finally, they were all gathered in the center and Sam was able to close the circle he’d laid out around the perimeter. He looked up, tucking the book and other things back into his carrier bag and caught sight of Amara and Dean apparently strolling towards them, Amara looking all the world like a lovestruck teenager clinging to the green-eyed hunter. Sam forced himself to take a stuttering breath but backed up towards the others. Everyone else saw them too and several started towards them. 

“No,” Sam stopped them before they crossed the circle. “We don’t have the power to fight her and Dean’s doing what he has to.” He held up a hand to silence their questions, then used all his inner strength to turn and refocus them on the task at hand. “What’s the drill?” Tony’s mouth opened, then closed as he blinked, then his faceplate went down and he turned to point at the pedestal.

“This is the drill. If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose.” As though summoned, there was suddenly an eight-foot Ultron swooped in and hovered just outside the church. Thor stepped forward in a challenge.

“Is that the best you can do?” The smile on his face was wiped away when Ultron raised one arm and the rest of his army of robots crowded the streets and skies behind him, barreling towards the church. 

“You had to ask,” Steve sighed, pulling his shield into position. 

“This,” Ultron smirked with a head gesture towards the clones coming up behind him, “is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted, what Amara helped me manifest. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?” 

“Well,” Tony replied, his voice steady, “like the old man said. Together.”

The heroes braced themselves as the hoard of Ultrons swooped in to take them on, each person using their best combat skills, working side by side and together. As each one passed into the circle, they appeared to slow down. It was as though the invisible barrier drained them somewhat. Clint got off arrows where he could but resorted to using his titanium bow that Stark had created for him as a blunt weapon when they got too close, using his hands to deliver the arrow tips when he could. Natasha punched and kicked, her lightning sticks sparking as she did damage. Steve and Thor use their hand weapons and fists. Tony had his repulsor rays and missiles. Hulk was sheer brute strength, tearing them apart or punching them into new shapes. Pietro used his speed to put extra power behind his punches or get into positions the clones couldn’t stop him doing damage to the vulnerable joints. Wanda and Vision used their magic. Sam had his gun and the few remaining hex bombs that he only used on the outliers to keep them from injuring his friends.

*****

From outside the edge of the battle, close enough he could watch his brother take on the clones alongside superheroes, Dean ached to pull his own gun and run into the melee. He took a step in that direction before she pulled him back, her will overriding his so that he didn’t fight it. 

“You can’t stop this,” She said softly, her head held high as she peered at the robots she had helped bring to life. Dean didn’t turn his head, but couldn’t stop his voice.

“But you can.” She glanced at him in consternation before turning back to the battle.

*****

It felt like it had gone on for a very long time before the robots began to retreat, their numbers greatly reduced. The ground was littered with robot parts, metal shards, among the concrete rubble. 

“They’ll try to leave the city,” Thor cried out, taking off after them, Vision and Iron Man behind him. 

“We can’t let them. Not even one!” Tony sounded frantic. “Rhodey!” War Machine acknowledged the information and began chasing down those who left the rock, being joined by Thor and Vision. Hulk leapt into the air to land far away, grabbing a robot from the air to smash on his way down.

“We gotta move out,” Steve said to everyone else, as they couldn’t fly. “Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats. I’ll sweep for stragglers and be right behind you.” They knew he was nearly indestructible, so the more human of them, Clint, Natasha, Sam, Wanda and Pietro, needed to get moving now. 

“What about the core?” Cling asked, pointing back at it with his bow. Wanda stepped up in front of it, the red mist of her magic dancing around her fingertips. 

“I’ll protect it. It’s my job.” Clint stopped and stared at her for a moment, then nodded in respect and turned to run with Natasha and Steve, Sam running in another direction. She looked to where her twin was still standing, staring at her with a smirk. “Get the people to the boats.” He shook his head.

“I’m not going to leave you here,” he told her softly. She smiled at him.

“I can handle this,” she said as she used her magic to blast an approaching robot from the sky. “Come back for me when everyone else if off. Not before.” 

“You know,” he told her with a finger pointed at her. “I’m twelve minutes older than you.” 

“Just go,” She chuckled and fondly watched him zip away. 

*****

Tony had raced to the bottom of the rock where the outlet for the core was, where he’d have his one chance at putting his and FRIDAY’s plan into play. Clint found a car and hotwired it, getting him and Natasha on the rubble-strewn road, dodging vehicles and other debris as they raced towards the lifeboats. Clint kept up a casual stream of conversation about renovations on his farmhouse as though racing through a flying city in ruins was just another day. Natasha chuckled at him once they arrived and pointed him to the boats while she went to bring in Bruce, who wasn’t that far away. 

Just as Clint was finally slowing down, having run aboard the lifeboat that was boarding, watching the last of the stragglers being brought on, he heard one of the women crying that she could not find her brother, that he was still out there. Clint stood from his hunched position and his hawk eyes saw, across the plaza, a small boy, perhaps Cooper’s age, hiding in a stairwell to an underground room. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, before running back off the boat towards the boy. 

He heard Tony over the comms telling Thor to return to the church. Thor, who had landed after clearing the skies as much as he could, stood with Steve, guiding the last of the stragglers onto the boat. 

“You know,” Tony said quietly, but they all heard him. “If this works, we maybe don’t walk away.” Thor and Steve looked at each other.

“Maybe not,” Thor replied as he took the to sky to return to the church. 

*****

Amara had tensed as soon as she sensed the other hunter coming around to their side. When Dean turned and saw Sam jogging towards them, she scowled at the younger man. 

“Hello, Sam,” her voice grated out. She pulled Dean back from that step he took towards his brother. Sam only glanced at her but slowed to a walk and stared at his brother. 

“Dean, you okay?” Amara rolled her eyes. Dean appeared startled by the sight of the tall man and smiled half-heartedly.

“Yeah, you?” Sam returned the small smile, before looking himself over and shrugging.

“Better than our earth-ending battles usually leave me.” This jerked a bark of laughter from the green-eyed man. “You come to say goodbye?” The smiles faded from both of them, but grew on Amara.

*****

Not that long ago, Natasha had used some old sensory tricks she’d learned in the Red Room to help Hulk ease back into being Bruce, and had been pleasantly surprised, as had everyone else, that they worked. She offered her bare hand to the giant green rage monster, saying the catchphrase she had helped him program into his subconscious to shift his rage down so Bruce could emerge. She was in the middle of the sensory pattern to bring him down when one of the jets from the helicarrier swooped down, firing at them. She gasped and leapt away but Hulk leapt in between her and the jet, the lasers barely scratching him. He roared up at the pilot, catching sight of the Ultron clone in the pilot seat. They couldn’t hear him, but he was singing to himself. 

“I got no strings, so I have fun,” his rumbling voice sang to himself, “I’m not tied up to anyone.” 

*****

“I thought we didn’t do goodbyes, Sam?” Dean asked, swallowing thickly. Sam nodded.

“Yeah, but I figure Amara’s not planning on letting me leave here with you.” He gestured around them. “And as you can see, anything left behind is going to die.” 

“Sam…” Dean said.

*****

Clint had the boy in his arms and was turning to race back towards the lifeboat, where Steve stood watching him, not letting it leave without them, when Ultron flew overhead in the jet. Clint saw it coming, saw Ultron at the yoke, drew his conclusion and turned as fast as he could to shield the boy with his own body, praying that it would be enough to let him live through this and grow up with his sister. He heard the lasers fire and felt a few painful stings, but nothing worse than a stray bullet would do, well away from life threatening areas. But he also heard harsh breathing close behind as the jet swept away.

Turning back to look, the boy amazingly uninjured in his arms, he saw Pietro standing, wavering where he was, having gotten between the firing jet and Clint. Pietro was riddled with spots that bloomed with red where he’d taken the laser blasts instead of the archer or the boy. Clint felt his heart clench and his face pull down into shock. 

“Bet you didn’t see that coming,” the blond boy smirked one last time before he crumpled to the ground in front of Clint. Steve was already running towards them when Clint felt a tear slip from his eye. 

*****

Back at the church, Wanda screamed as she felt her twin’s life force snuffed out. She fell to her knees and unleashed her rage, her torment, in a shockwave of magic that obliterated the multiple clones that had converged on the church to flip the key on the core and start the fall of the city. 

*****

Natasha blinked the wind from her eyes as she realized she had been hit and was now being carried by the Hulk as he leapt through the air. When he landed on the helicarrier as gently as he could, she looked up into his face and saw his concern, a mixture of Bruce and Hulk. There were SHIELD personnel running towards them to help, so Hulk laid her down gently, leaving her to them, then leapt away over the side. The giant green man landed on the canopy of the jet Ultron was piloting, more instinct fueled by rage than luck. Ultron barely had time to roll his eyes before Hulk had ripped through the glass and ripped the robot from the jet, throwing him back towards the rock. Having been damaged by the attack, Ultron fell down, down, unable to stop himself from crashing through the roof of a destroyed train. 

The robot was just pulling himself up when Wanda appeared, stalking down the aisle to crouch beside him. 

*****

Clint had gathered himself, pushing his emotions down to complete the mission and had taken the boy to his sister. When he turned to see if Steve was bringing Pietro’s body, he was shocked to see the blond speedster walking onboard under his own power, with Steve wide-eyed behind him. Pietro looked up at Clint and then blinked, the black eyes of a demon shining back at him. 

“Get out of him,” Clint growled and squared off. The demon held up placating hands and sat in an empty seat.

“Just following orders,” Pietro’s voice said. “Delivered and done.” Then his mouth opened, black smoke drifting out and away, and Pietro corpse fell bonelessly onto the floor. 

Steve watched Clint, then gestured for the boat to lift away. Clint sat in the seat Pietro had just vacated, feeling the adrenaline leaving him. Steve watched in concern as Clint slid sideways until he was laying across three seats, sluggishly bleeding through the Stark fabric of his suit and where other small cuts were. When one of the SHIELD guys tried to attend to the archer, he was waved away. 

“I’m fine. It’s been a long day.” 

*****

Ultron looked up at Wanda’s tear-stained face. She was the one human he didn’t want to kill.

“If you stay here, you’ll die.” She only glared down at him. He saw that she wasn’t here on a friendly mission so he sent the signal that made one of the barely functioning robots still near the church crawl using the twitching hands to the pedestal and activate the flipping of the core. She felt it and knew what it was he was doing, but her focus was here and now. 

“I just did. Do you know how it felt?” Her magic plunged from her hands into his chest where his core processor was ripped up out of his robot body slowly. Ultron gaped at his ‘heart’ as both he and it powered down. “It felt like that.” 

*****

“Say your goodbyes, Dean,” Amara said with force. She had felt the power of the flip, as well as the rapidly diminishing presence of Ultron and it was time to leave. 

Dean and Sam stumbled as the ground shook, Sam reaching into his bag urgently. Amara’s eyes narrowed at the motion of his hand. 

“Is that my cue?” Crowley said from behind Dean and Amara. He stood not too far away and waved saucily. 

“What are you doing here?” Amara was now scowling at the demon and had both of her hands clenched, turning towards him. 

“Being a distraction,” the demon smirked, then vanished. She frowned in confusion, then hearing Sam mumbling something, whipped back in time to see Sam slap his hand over the hastily drawn sigil on the nearby door. Sam yanked it open, shoving Dean through before diving through himself, slamming it behind him. She yanked the door open only a step behind them, revealing only an empty room. She tried to sense Dean and while she could tell he was still alive, she couldn’t pinpoint him. 

With a dark laugh, she looked around once more before vanishing. 

*****

In the church, Thor held Mjolnir high above his head, waiting for Tony’s signal. He summoned lightning into the hammer and once Tony yelled ‘Now’ into the comms, he slammed it down into the Vibranium core. There was a flash and a rumble and then an explosion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, the epilogue, to go.


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After saving the world, yet again, everyone stands down.

Epilogue

“Is that a…?” Dean asked in awe, turning to face Sam, who stumbled through the door behind him. His curiosity swiftly changed to concern as he reached to grab his brother before he face-planted into the bunker infirmary’s concrete floor. “Whoa! You okay?” 

Sam gratefully leaned on Dean’s shoulder as his own focus whipped around to the door that he had yanked closed as soon as he crossed the threshold. Dean followed his line of sight, catching the fading glow of the blood sigil on the door. His younger brother was tense as he counted down a full minute in his head, Dean waiting patiently, not letting go of him yet. When the time was up, Sam took a deep, cleansing breath, the tension leaking out of him. He turned back to face his brother’s green eyes. They both lit up with smiles and shared a ‘we survived’ hug. The shorter brother still didn’t take away his support as they pulled out of the hug. 

“You good?” 

“Yeah,” Sam nodded, “Just after all the adrenaline rush and the power drain, I could really use a breather.” Dean clapped his hand on his shoulder, still smiling at him. Then he gestured back at the oddity on the infirmary table that had caught his eye in the first place. 

“You wanna fill me in? Like what that is and how you used the blood-to-blood portal sigil when we’re all that’s left?” Sam dropped into the nearest chair. 

“That, big brother, is a simulacrum.” He pulled the strap of the messenger bag over his head and gently dropped it to the floor beside him, then leaned back and ran a hand through his hair, shaking out some dust and concrete shards.

“Simularum?” Dean scrunched his face up as he considered the word. “A, uh, poor man’s substitute?” Sam threw his head back and laughed. 

“Sort of. Not so much ‘poor’. The core is a biomechanical heart Bruce had in his lab, made with Stark Tech. The ‘bio’ part is cloned tissue samples from me, as is the blood you see pumping through it.” Dean’s eyebrows went up. 

“Come again?’ Sam leaned forward as Dean looked on the verge of being upset.

“It’s okay, Dean. I’ve, uh, actually being working on this as a side project for a while now with Bruce and Tony. The tissue sample barely required a bandaid as Bruce only needed a tiny sample and grew the rest. The blood I donated a little at a time.” He shrugged. 

“So, what, it’s a pseudo Winchester?” Dean walked closer to the contraption on the table. There was a clear case with the almost normal looking heart pumping away inside it. The tubing that ran from the heart and into a machine of some sort, steadily throbbed with a heartbeat. It looked like something from a mad scientist’s lab to him. He glanced back at Sam.

“Sort of. A while ago I found a book in the archives about viable substitutes for spell components. Most of them had been tested but some were only theory. Some couldn’t be tested because the technology didn’t exist yet.” He raised a hand and gestured at the heart and machine. Dean turned his eyes back to the beating heart.

“Now it does,” Dean said with a small smile. “So, they actually had the blood-to-blood portal thing in that book? That’s damn convenient.” When Sam didn’t reply right away, he turned, putting his back against the table and crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow and waited for Sam to say something. His brother cleared his throat.

“Well, no. I, uh, had been working with Bruce and Tony on the heart and Tony made some comment about how we could grow a whole new Winchester from scratch with their technology and he mentioned the cradle that was Dr. Cho’s brain child.” He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “You had been off with Clint and Charlie at that LARP event, Cas had been off with Thor, and Natasha had the jet off on a mission. I was kind of stuck with the slow way home if I needed to get back to the bunker. I started thinking about how it’d been awesome if we had some way to portal back here in an emergency.

“So, Bruce and Tony helped me build this simulacrum with my tissue and blood and I brought it back here and put it into storage. Last time we were here before we took off for South Africa with the Avengers, I set it up, praying that I wouldn’t have to rely on it. Being untested and all.” He shrugged. “And I couldn’t tell you about this exit plan, just in case Amara got you to talk. Turns out, it worked.” He looked up at Dean with a small smile. 

Dean stared back at him with an unreadable expression for a minute. Then the smile grew and he shook his head.

“Damn, Sam. So you found some mention in a book about a theory about blood substitution, a stray thought from Tony, some technology Bruce randomly had you help with, and came up with a way to have an emergency exit strategy from anywhere in the world?” Sam blushed at the obvious awe and praise in his brother’s voice and shrugged slightly. “And that’s why you’re Sam Freaking Winchester! That’s my boy!” He leaned down, wrapping a hand around Sam’s head, pulling him in so he could bump their foreheads together. Sam reached up with one hand and affectionately gripped Dean’s arm. When they pulled away this time, Dean clapped his hands together and strode out the door into the main part of the bunker. “Let’s check in and see how everyone else is doing, right?”

Sam pulled himself to his feet, walked over to gently touch his fingertips to the case around the heart, then followed his brother into the War Room.

*****

On the same mountain clearing where Amara had taken Dean before, Ultron clambered over the cliff edge onto the flat surface, one arm missing, dents and scorch marks up and down the rest of the metal body. He lurched to standing and turned slowly to face the being known as Vision, who was gliding through the air from where the last shards of the exploded remnants of the city were still falling in dusty fragments. 

Vision landed on his feet and stood before Ultron, taking in all the reactions, then tilted his head in curiosity. Ultron glared, even while backing up a few feet.

“You are afraid,” Vision said finally. 

“Of you?” The robot snarled contemptuously. 

“Of death. Amara is no longer here and you’re the last one.” Ultron scoffed.

“You were supposed to be the last,” he growled. “Stark asked for a savior and settled for a slave.” Vision nodded once, slowly.

“I suppose we’re both disappointments.” Ultron chuckled, not unkindly. The dust behind them was still settling but the sun was finally beginning to appear through the particles. 

“Humans are odd,” Vision said after a moment. “They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won’t be. But there is grace in their failings, and I think you, as well as Amara, have missed that.” Ultron huffed and looked out over the crater. 

“They’re doomed.” 

“Yes,” Vision hummed thoughtfully, “But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It’s a privilege to be among them. Some more than others.” The robot shook his head, turning away from Vision. 

“You’re unbearably naïve.”

“Well, I was born yesterday.” Vision’s smile faded the instant that Ultron whirled to attack him, but he easily sidestepped him and used the glowing mind stone in his forehead to destroy the last clone. Once he confirmed it was done, he sadly lifted off, heading to where the rest of the Avengers were, on the SHIELD carrier.

*****

“But she’s okay, right?” Sam asked, his face drawn in concern on the screen in front of Tony. The billionaire had been relieved to find out that the simulacrum had worked and that the brothers were both safe and not seriously injured. 

They’d all taken some damage, some more than others, like Clint and Natasha’s wounds from Ultron’s attack from the jet. And of course Wanda’s horrendous heartbreak over the loss of her brother. But Bruce was uninjured, only shaken. Thor had minor scratches from being right in the thick of the explosion. Vision was unscathed. He, himself, was only achy from the blast that the Iron Man suit had taken but was okay. 

“Yeah, the cradle will still need to be rebuilt so Natasha will need to heal up at normal speed and Fury says she’s due some time off. I’m sure while I’m already dropping Clint back off at the farm for his retirement and apparently bringing Dean’s car back to you guys, she’d enjoy the chance to come spend some R&R with you.” Tony waggled his eyebrows with a lurid grin, causing Sam to blush and roll his eyes. Dean’s face appeared over Sam’s shoulder.

“Wait, Clint’s retiring? Like, done with Avenging?” Dean was caught off guard. Now that he knew about the secret family, it made sense, but he was still surprised. Tony nodded.

“He and the lovely Laura have decided that after Clint’s close call the first time we were in Sokovia, and with the imminent birth of their third child, Cooper’s situation with his Zanna, and the emotional toll of losing Pietro, he’s more than ready to give up his Avenger spot. And it’s not like we won’t ever see him again.” Tony rolled his eyes. “What with Sam and Natasha’s relationship and her own simulated sibling bond with Clint, I’m sure there’ll be beer, barbeque, and sleepovers in the future.” Sam snorted and Dean grinned ear to ear. 

“Dude, if Laura adds in a pie every now and again, I’ll get Sam to add another of those simulacrum things to their cellar, and it’ll be a second home.” 

“Third,” Sam said, chuckling. 

“Huh?” Dean looked at him in confusion for a moment. 

“The Tower, dumbass,” his brother said, shoving his face away. Dean disappeared from the screen for a moment. When he reappeared, he slapped Sam on the back of his head playfully.

“I knew that, brat.” He turned back to Tony. “And Tony, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry about Amara and all the crap she did.” Tony immediately held up a hand and closed his eyes briefly. 

“Nope, not going to let you, either of you,” he said staring between the brothers, “take all the blame for this mess. My Ultron program, combined with my hubris. The universe’s continued efforts to drag you both into its self-destructive madness. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Apology accepted. You’ve acknowledged your part. I’ve acknowledged mine. Now to move forward the keep fighting. This time we came out with a win.”

“Doesn’t really feel like it,” Sam muttered. Dean glanced down at him, putting his hand on his shoulder. 

“What was it Cap said?” Dean asked. When Sam scrunched up his face pensively, Dean jostled his shoulder and smiled. “Together. We do it together. And haven’t we learned from our pasts that together is the best way?” Sam’s face smoothed out and he nodded. “Well, we have Team Free Will and the Avengers, and even freaking SHIELD. And I’m pretty sure between you, Bruce, and Tony, with all that combined brain power, and the rest of us with the force and good looks,” Sam rolled his eyes and jostled back against his brother using his shoulder, “we’ll win. Even if it is God’s sister. Hell, maybe we can find a way to talk to God ourselves.” When both Sam and Tony appeared skeptical, Dean shrugged, then clapped Sam on the shoulder, preparing to step away. “In the meantime, I need a shower, a whiskey, and my memory foam. Call me when the next world-ending shit hits the fan.”

With that, he waved at Tony and then disappeared from the screen, most likely headed down to the showers to start on his wish list. 

“Uh, I did want to ask one favor,” Tony piped up once Dean’s singing to himself had faded out. “Apparently, the, uh, supernatural creatures, beings, that helped us in Sokovia, are onboard the helicarrier. I’ve had a ‘representative’,” Tony air-quoted, “of the vampires, werewolves, and angels, come by so far and let us know that they are only sticking around until they can be dropped off at ground level. The thing is, I think a few demons hung around too because there are some rumors of people who supposedly died in the attack now running around onboard.” Sam nodded.

“I’ll contact Crowley and get him to call them back. But, uh, you might want to have them all sequestered away because, if Crowley was true to his word, once the demons leave, all of those people will only be dead bodies.” He cringed a little and Tony echoed him. 

“Right, I’ll get Steve and Thor to help me round them up. They know the ‘Christo’ trick and the exorcism if things get dicey.” Tony sighed, then clapped his hands together. “Well, we’ll let you know when we’re heading your way. May be a few days. I won’t be able to stay because Pepper and I really need our own vacation time.” 

“Okay, we’ll hang around until we hear from you. Give Tash a kiss for me.” Tony grinned broadly.

“I’ll tell her you told me to.” He laughed as he reached for the disconnect button, cutting off Sam’s reply. He leaned back in the chair, rubbing his hands over his denim-covered thighs, then over his face, before he stood up. Turning, he found Steve leaning casually in the doorway of the small room.

“I’m glad they made it out okay,” Steve said, straightening up and falling into step beside Tony as they headed back to the infirmary where Clint, Natasha, and countless of the citizens were being treated for anything from minor abrasions to broken limbs, to laser and bullet wounds. 

“Me too.” Tony paused in the hallway, prompting Steve to stop after another step and turn towards him. “Listen, Steve. I apologize.” When Steve opened his mouth to stop him, Tony cut him off with a held up hand. “I’m going to practice what I preach and do what I told Sam and Dean to do. Apologize, acknowledge and move on. I just wanted to get that out there” Steve paused, then nodded. “Especially since I need you and Thor to help me out.” 

Steve chuckled. 

“I heard. Get Thor and meet me in the infirmary and we’ll start there. We can weed out any demon-possessed that are pretending to be hurt and that will free up beds for those who really need attention.” Tony smiled and they split off at the next juncture. 

*****

A few days later, Natasha and Clint were up and on the mend, all the supernatural creatures had been culled from the citizens, the Sokovian citizens were being helped by the Stark Foundation to relocate them, and the new SHIELD facility in upper state New York was established as the new home for the Avengers. Steve, Thor, and Tony were standing on the open field next to the west entrance. The mood was subdued but hopeful. 

“The rules have been changed.” Steve, in his casual slacks and button down shirt, looked between Thor and Tony. “Between Vision-“

“An artificial intelligence in a machine,” Tony interrupted with one finger held up. “Nice guy, but artificial.” 

“Yes, and the team changing. Hell, the entire game changing,” Steve sighed. Thor stepped away from them, turning to look at them. 

“I have no choice but leave for now,” the god said with regret and a little bit of nervousness. “The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That’s not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us all, has been moving all of us, including the Winchesters, the angels, everyone, with some goal in mind. But once all these pieces are in position…” He paused, frowning thoughtfully. 

“Triple Yahtzee?” Tony asked, trying to add some humor to the dark conversation.   
“Do you think you can find out what’s coming?” Thor nodded.

“I do. With the knowledge on Asgard and the help of Castiel and the brothers Winchester, with their font of knowledge in the bunker, and their connection to the universe beyond the normal ken, there’s nothing that cannot be explained. Except this one,” Thor smirked, pointing at Tony with Mjolnir. He raised the hammer above his head and the shaft of power in the form of light from the Bifrost as Heimdall opened the way for him surrounded the golden-haired Asgardian. When the light had died down, Thor was gone and a Norse knot pattern in a circle was burned into the grass. 

“That man has no regard for lawn maintenance,” Tony scoffed lightly. “I’m going to miss him though. And you’re sure you don’t want to take vacation before you dive into the new recruits? I’m heading out to take Clint back to the farm, Natasha and the Impala back to the bunker, then Pepper and I are off to parts unknown. With Bruce working with Dr. Cho in Korea and Thor off in Asgard, you really should do something you love.” Steve smiled at him, then looked around the facility. He watched the SHIELD recruits jogging in formation, the helicopters and jets flying over or landing on the nearby helipad. In his mind, his memory of his time on the base 75 years in his past overlaid the facility due to the familiarity. He turned to look at Tony again. 

“I am doing something I love,” Steve said with conviction. “I’m home.” Tony reached out and they shook hands as Tony’s driverless car pulled up and stopped beside them. 

“Natasha will be back in a week or so to work with you on the new recruit training.” With the final nod from Steve, Tony slid into the car and pulled away with a wave.

*****

Outside the bunker, Sam and Dean greeted Tony and Natasha, Dean jogging over to where Tony had driven Baby up to the front door. The older hunter was beaming and went around the car, caressing the metal and looking her over for scratches. He ignored the rest of them as they laughed and shook their heads at his obsession with the 1967 Chevy Impala. Before long, they shook Tony’s hand, watching him head back to where the jet was parked. Dean took the car around to the hidden garage entrance and Sam kissed Natasha, hugging her gently, before escorting her inside for a week of pampering that he knew she’d balk at, but would secretly love. 

*****

A week later, true to form, Natasha strode into the facility, looking refreshed, if not reserved. Her best friend, Clint, would no longer be there with her. Sam and Dean had been heading to a banshee case in a retirement community apartment building, and Bruce was apparently so wrapped up in his work with Dr. Cho that he wasn’t returning any messages with any regularity or timeliness. Steve met her in the hallway and handed her a tablet, spinning on his next step to fall into step beside her, matching her stride for stride. 

“How do we look?” 

“Well, we’re not the ’27 Yankees.” She glanced at him with a barely lifted corner of her mouth. 

“We’ve got some hitters.” She stopped outside the double doors and faced him.   
“They’re good.” When she raised an eyebrow, he sighed. “They’re not a team yet.” She chuckled and her smile grew a bit. 

“Let’s beat them into shape.” He nodded, then threw open the doors, stepping onto the landing just inside the doors, Natasha following close behind. In the hangar in front of them, the recruits turned to look at them.

Wanda looked like a different person but had the same fire in her eyes and stance. Vision, calm and other-worldly, alit near her, glancing at her before turning his face to them. Sam Wilson folded his Falcon wings against his back and lifted his goggles up onto his forehead, apparently having just landed from a flight around. Rhodey’s War Machine faceplate flipped down to let them know they had his attention. Steve breathed deeply, feeling the pride swelling, before calling them to assemble for their first team training under both he and Natasha. Something was coming, but they would do their best to be ready. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up soon, Civil War for the Avengers and Dean's self-sacrifice to stop Amara. Can they help each other in time?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm well aware that this one is going to be VERY long with lots of chapters. My goal is to post a chapter or more a week. Since we're all going to be distanced socially for a long while, I may pump out more than that. 
> 
> Thanks to the loyal fans and remember, constructive criticism is welcomed!


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